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The Pine Creek Gorge is also known as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.

I was fortunate enough to join Tom and all of you on this tour of the winding roads of backcountry Pennsylvania, as we patrolled meadows, gorges, brooks and bottomlands for the state's rich assortment of breeding warblers. We tallied 25 warbler species, most of which we had excellent views of, and we saw several other exciting birds, not to mention a couple Groundhogs along the way. The tour was punctuated by many highlights, from buzzing Cerulean Warblers along Stony Creek, to peenting Woodcocks in a cacophony of Whip-poor-wills, to dapper Henslow's Sparrows hiccuping from scattered shrubs. We lucked out with favorable weather throughout the trip; in our week of birding we didn't encounter a single drop of rain! Mornings were cool and clear, while afternoons were somewhat warm, even getting up into the mid-80s.

Sunrise on day one found us at Conoy Park, scoping Prothonotary and Yellow-throated Warblers singing from Sycamore treetops along the mighty Susquehanna River. This was our only opportunity to see these localized breeders that trickle into southern Pennsylvania in the spring. We then crossed to Stony Creek, north of Harrisburg, where Tom called out a gorgeous male Cerulean Warbler, fresh from the cloud forests of the northern Andes. We glimpsed a female, too, at Peter's Mountain, a treat few birders get to enjoy.

Our time at State College was quite productive, indeed. We birded Scotia Barrens, a patchwork of forests at different stages of succession, that is managed for game birds like grouse and turkey. Here, we were eye-to-eye with singing Golden-winged Warblers, and beneath a copulating pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos! We also scoped the smaller, less common Black-billed Cuckoo, a bird I have always wanted to see.

The night birding at Scotia Barrens was exceptional. As the peach-colored sky darkened at dusk, multiple Eastern Whip-poor-wills erupted into song, and male American Woodcocks circled overhead in their attempts to impress the females. They certainly impressed us! On our way back to the hotel, we delighted in hearing an unexpected pair of Barred Owls singing "who cooks for you, who cooks for you all!" deep in the woods, unseen despite Tom's excellent vocal imitation. Henslow's Sparrows in the fields near Punxsutawney (the town where Groundhog Day originated), were another highlight of the tour. We watched one that was so close, our scopes could just barely focus on it! We also flushed a pair of Upland Sandpipers, perhaps the rarest breeding bird of PA.

The last few nights of the tour we birded the northern part of the state around Mansfield, where Hemlocks and introduced Norway Spruce provide habitat for a different collection of birds, including Blackburnian, and Black-throated Blue Warblers, both of which we had great looks at. We also enjoyed a singing Canada Warbler in Rhododendrons at Bear Meadows, and a Louisiana Waterthrush singing along a fast-flowing creek. One evening, we stopped at "The Muck," an extensive wetland, where Virginia Rails scuttled through cattails, and Bank Swallows swooped in to roost.

On our journey back to Harrisburg, we enjoyed a picnic breakfast at Colton Point State Park above Pine Creek Gorge, the "Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania," where Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers drummed on hollow trunks and a Hermit Thrush sang from the undergrowth. Later that morning, we veered off onto an obscure dirt road in the middle of a clear cut, and watched a brilliant male Mourning Warbler singing from stumps and tangled dead branches. After dining in Harrisburg the final evening, we stopped at Tom's Eastern Screech-owl spot (top secret location) and spot-lit a singing Wood Thrush and two red morph Screech-owls.

We squeezed in one final morning of birding at Fort Indiantown Gap before hustling off to the airport. Worm-eating and Prairie Warblers stood out as the morning's highlights and a singing Kentucky Warbler was icing on the cake. This striking warbler is in steep decline in PA due to in part to overgrazing by deer that remove dense vegetation for ground nesters. Kentuckys used to be relatively common in PA, now they are tough to come by; thus, we were extremely fortunate to have seen one.

Overall, the trip ran smoothly, although we hit a few pot-holes on that dirt road while looking for Henslow's Sparrows. Tom and I would like to thank you for joining us on this memorable journey through his home state; we had a great time and look forward to birding with you again!

Micah

KEYS FOR THIS LIST
One of the following keys may be shown in brackets for individual species as appropriate: * = heard only, I = introduced, E = endemic, N = nesting, a = austral migrant, b = boreal migrant

Upland Sandpipers are scarce breeders in PA. We were lucky to find a pair near Punxsutawney. Photo by participant Elisa Taylor-Godwin.

We were lucky enough to see Yellow-billed Cuckoos mating at Scotia Barrens! Photo by participant Elisa Taylor-Godwin.

We had great looks at this Mourning Warbler singing in Potter County. Photo by participant Elisa Taylor-Godwin.

Golden-winged Warblers breed in early successional vegetation. We had fabulous looks at this one at Scotia Barrens. Photo by guide Micah Riegner.

Henslow's Sparrows breed in fields with scattered shrubs. We watched this one for several minutes. Look those great big feet! Photo by participant Elisa Taylor-Godwin.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS

Totals for the tour: 130 bird taxa and 7 mammal taxa