SMAS

Overview and Activities

Quick Look

Next Bird Walk / Field Trip: Saturday, 21st December, Christmas Bird Count

Next Meeting: Monday 20th January, 7pm, Meeting, Drones and Marshbirds

Meetings

Unless indicated otherwise, all SMAS Programs are held at the Adams County Agricultural Resource Center, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg, PA at 7:30 pm (refreshments at 7 pm). A room number for the SMAS meeting will be posted on the front lobby entry inner door.

Field Trips

FIELD TRIPS - Field trips will be planned on an annual basis and a tentative list will be sent in late December to those on our email list. Details for day trips will be announced in the monthly email blasts, and details for overnight trips will be announced a few months in advance. Also, information can be found on this website. Each monthly email will list a contact person and a meeting place and time for the upcoming events. If you are not on our email list, you can contact Mike Bertram at the2nomads@gmail.com or call 717-809-3911 (please leave a voicemail) if you have questions or need other details. Field trip cancellations will be announced by email as soon as possible and also on this website.

Local Bird Sightings in 2023

The high point of the year was the recently created beaver pond next to Devil's Den in Gettysburg NMP. The first sighting of a Lesser Bittern in Adams County was at the pond, as was the first breeding record of a Virginia Rail. Other notable sightings in the county were of a Golden Eagle, Orange-crowned Warbler, and Connecticut Warbler.

In the grasslands IBA we had the first records of an Eurasian Collared Dove and a Northern Saw-whet Owl.

The only notable sighting in the South Mountain IBA was a Herring Gull, the previous record was from 2016.

Meetings and other Activities

Saturday, December 21 Christmas Bird Count Contact Evan Vaeth at 877-764-7382 if you are interested in participating either through joining a small group birding an area, or to count birds at your feeder.

Monday, January 20, 2025 Meeting Dr. Andy Wilson, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at Gettysburg College, will up date us on his songbird research using drones. He will also share preliminary results from marsh bird studies being conducted this summer along the Chesapeake Bay.

The South Mountain Audubon Society aims are to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity focusing on Adams County, PA.

The Society works towards those aims with meetings, birding trips, and conservation activities.

There are 2 Important Bird Areas locally:

Click here to join National Audubon and the South Mountain Audubon Society. Please select U17 as the Chapter code from the drop down menu on the form.

If you only want to join the South Mountain Audubon Society only then sign up at the next event you attend. The annual membership is $15.

The Society can be contacted in the following ways:

email: the2nomads@gmail.com

Tel.: 717-809-3911

Mail: SMAS, P.O. Box 3671, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

Educational Initiatives

South Mountain Audubon sponsors educational efforts on natural history in the local schools. This year it financed the purchase of books by the Bermudian Middle School.

Bermudian not found

Slyder Farm Horse Trails

On the 21st September SMAS visited Slyder Farm, Gettysburg NMP, and walked the horse trail, observing 33 species.

Tennessee Warbler image not found
Tennessee Warbler

Blackpoll Warbler 4 image not found
Blackpoll Warbler

Oakside Park, Biglerville

On Saturday, 12th October, a group of SMAS members walked round Oakside Park, outside Biglerville. 39 species were observed. The Lincoln and Savannah Sparrows had not been seen at Oakside previously.

Lincoln Sparrow 2 image not found