Saint Vincent walks attract birdwatchers in fair or foul weather

The rough “chip” of the cardinal and the “potato chip, potato chip” call of the American goldfinch were among sounds that pierced the winter sky Wednesday morning during a bird walk at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve in Unity.

Before leading a group of about 15 Saint Vincent College students on the 45-minute birdwatching trek, program leader Jim Kellam pointed out that vocalizations of winged species are just as important for spotting them as what can be glimpsed through a pair of binoculars.

The goldfinch sounds as if it’s repeatedly calling out the name of a snack because of its “undulating” fight pattern, according to Kellam, an associate biology professor at the college, which is next to the nature reserve.

“They will sing that song as they fly,” he said. “They’re contact calls to keep the flock together.”

Shane Moran, a senior biology and theology major from Indiana, was surprised to spot a belted kingfisher when he joined Kellam for another bird walk earlier in the morning — next to the nearby Saint Vincent Gristmill, not far from Saint Vincent Lake.

“They like to live by wet areas, but I didn’t know they lived here,” Moran said of the species.

Not counting waterfowl, there are 50 or more other bird species that are not fair-weather friends and commonly will continue to stay in Southwestern Pennsylvania through the winter months, Kellam said.

“Of the Pennsylvania birds that live here at any time of year, about 30% of them stay here in the winter,” he said. “So there are still plenty of birds to see.”

Despite a recent cold spell and storms that left the ground blanketed in snow, Kellam said this winter so far seems to be warmer than average. That means Eastern meadowlarks are showing up in healthy numbers alongside snow buntings arriving from the north.

“Every year is different,” he said. “That’s what’s really cool about doing a bird walk in the winter, because you don’t know what you’re going to find.

“Bluebirds are here in greater numbers this year because there’s more fruit on the trees.”

On Wednesday, Kellam and his fellow birdwatchers collectively spotted 20 species by the gristmill and 14 at the nature reserve, including a pair of elusive song sparrows.

Abigail Bodner, a senior from New Alexandria, saw many of the same types of birds she’s encountered at her family’s rural home, which is in the midst of 40 wooded acres.

Still, Bodner, who is researching moth populations in different habitats, learned some new things during her first bird walk with Kellam.

“This was enjoyable, seeing a lot of the different birds and listening to the sounds,” she said.

“This is really cool,” said Moran, who is looking forward to a birding field trip to his home county in March.