National Audubon Society

The bobwhite was absent again during the Glenolden Christmas bird count, giving bird-watchers reason to think the small quail may never return to Delaware County. It was the 14th consecutive year the bird has not been seen during the annual count, said coordinator Nick Pulcinella. He said loss of habitat was the reason for the bird's disappearance. "They like fields and farmland," Pulcinella said. "There isn't much of that left in Delaware County. " Also scarce, but not completely gone, were the ringneck pheasant and the meadowlark, field-dwelling birds, and the wood thrush, which needs lots of woods for breeding and nesting, he said.

What there is to see: The property contains a 1762 stone house, a bank barn, and 67 acres of open space. Visitors will learn about the life of celebrated bird expert John James Audubon as they stroll through the house and grounds. Interpretive vignettes depict his work studios. Mounted birds and mammals offer visitors a glimpse of the creatures Audubon studied and painted. Standout pieces include The Eagle and the Lamb, a painting Audubon did to pay for the production of his famous book, Birds of America.

Bird-watchers taking part Saturday in the annual Glenolden Christmas Bird Count may be able to leave their long johns at home this year. The bad weather that has plagued the count for the last three years is not forecast to return this weekend. "People won't have to hide indoors, and neither will the birds," said count compiler Nick Pulcinella. For three years, the annual excursion to count Delaware County's birds has been hindered by cold or rain and fog, Pulcinella said.

The eminent ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson once groused publicly about the time and effort the National Audubon Society invests in environmental issues, such as rapid population growth. From his perspective, these problems are extraneous distractions that prevent Audubon from devoting its full attention to the plight of birds. That curiously narrow view exposed him as something of an ostrich, head so deep in the sand that he refused to acknowledge the impact of demographic growth on the habitat and food supply of his feathered friends.

Maryland needs to keep an eye on its Baltimore orioles - not the baseball team, but the state bird. And 20 other states and Washington should do the same, according to a recent survey by the National Audubon Society. State birds in 21 states and the District of Columbia are declining, according to National Audubon's "State of the State Birds" analysis published in the latest issue of American Birds magazine. Stan Senner, a biologist and director of National Audubon's migratory bird conservation campaign, reviewed the results from the Interior Department's Breeding Bird Survey trends from 1966 through 1991.

This ovenbird wasn't for stuffing. It fluttered down on a feeder in Media, where birdwatchers recorded its presence in the 1991 Glenolden Christmas Bird Count. The only one of its species to be seen during the count, and only the fifth ovenbird recorded since 1978, the little warbler gave the birders a satisfied feeling, said coordinator Nick Pulcinella. Ovenbirds are unusual north of Virginia in the winter, he said; only occasionally have they been known to linger away from their cold-weather habitat.

"It's going to be a quiet fall," said Alan Gehret as he walked a quiet trail at Mill Grove Sanctuary. "There's just a lack of life out here today. . . . "It's frightening. " Gehret is assistant administrator at the 175-acre bird preserve in this Montgomery County village. "This summer has been real quiet with birds," Gehret said - not as many breeding as in the past, largely because the heat and drought affected the plants and insects they feed on. Very visibly, this year's drought has affected lawns and streams.

Delaware County basked in a bit of Indian summer last week, a signal for many area bird watchers to grab their binoculars and head for the woods and marshes. Birders, as they call themselves, especially enjoy their hobby during the fall migration of birds and waterfowl, and a balmy day is ideal for both birds and birders. And Delaware County is ideal, according to Tom Reeves of Springfield, because it's along the Atlantic flyway, the route many winged migrants use on their way south.

People may wonder what's going on in Bob Mercer's head. In the middle of a conversation, his hazel eyes will bounce to the sky or his head will swivel to the side. He's trying to catch a glimpse of the musicians in nature's orchestra. A bird-watcher for nearly 20 years, Mercer can't turn off his senses to their flutters and songs. "You start to recognize and build up a repertoire of the sounds," explained Mercer, director of Bristol's Silver Lake Nature Center. "People may think I'm not paying attention, but there are two different pieces of the brain.

Of the 35,000 lines in Shakespeare's plays, only one mentions the diminutive, sinewy, and talented European starling. But that solitary reference led to a misguided attempt to import starlings for a Shakespeare festival in New York in the late 19th century. The birds evidently fell in love with the New World, and very definitely with each other. Today, 250 million starlings inhabit North America from Mexico to the Yukon, bedeviling homeowners, car owners, farmers, and birders.

Of the 35,000 lines in Shakespeare's plays, only one mentions the diminutive, sinewy, and talented European starling. But that solitary reference led to a misguided attempt to import starlings for a Shakespeare festival in New York in the late 19th century. The birds evidently fell in love with the New World, and very definitely with each other. Today, 250 million starlings inhabit North America from Mexico to the Yukon, bedeviling homeowners, car owners, farmers, and birders.

While John James Audubon's conservation legacy has led to the protection of species worldwide, it has not really borne fruit at the one place he called home: the Montgomery County farmhouse known as Mill Grove. But on Wednesday, the Montgomery County commissioners are to announce a $3 million grant, part of a $10 million effort to restore the rundown house, build a conservation center, and display more of its namesake's valuable art. Commissioners Chairman James R. Matthews said the grant would create a national tourist attraction that could bolster the local economy.

While John James Audubon's conservation legacy has led to the protection of species worldwide, it has not really borne fruit at the one place he called home: the Montgomery County farmhouse known as Mill Grove. But on Wednesday, the Montgomery County commissioners are to announce a $3 million grant, part of a $10 million effort to restore the rundown house, build a conservation center, and display more of its namesake's valuable art. Commissioners Chairman James R. Matthews said the grant would create a national tourist attraction that could bolster the local economy.

What there is to see: The property contains a 1762 stone house, a bank barn, and 67 acres of open space. Visitors will learn about the life of celebrated bird expert John James Audubon as they stroll through the house and grounds. Interpretive vignettes depict his work studios. Mounted birds and mammals offer visitors a glimpse of the creatures Audubon studied and painted. Standout pieces include The Eagle and the Lamb, a painting Audubon did to pay for the production of his famous book, Birds of America.

The National Audubon Society will make Mill Grove, the first American home of wildlife artist John James Audubon, a national tourism destination under a new agreement with Montgomery County, the county commissioners said. The commissioners yesterday agreed to lease to the society more than a third of the 175-acre Mill Grove at Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Lower Providence Township. The 50-year lease will include the 1762 farmhouse and barn and an art collection estimated to be worth at least $10 million, and it will require that the Audubon Society build a $5 million art gallery and visitors' center.

"Usually they take off when they hear my diesel," Joe Shultz said, "like pterodactyls. " He left his pickup rumbling and crunched over the snow to look out on the East Park Reservoir, 40 frozen acres crusted with snow. Not more than 100 feet away, standing erect on the ice and gazing east toward the rooftops of Strawberry Mansion, stood a single great blue heron, pale violet in the afternoon light. The bird seemed frozen in the stillness. Then, taking a few quick steps, it unfolded its great wings and lifted over the ice, disappearing into the reeds ringing the far shore.

People may wonder what's going on in Bob Mercer's head. In the middle of a conversation, his hazel eyes will bounce to the sky or his head will swivel to the side. He's trying to catch a glimpse of the musicians in nature's orchestra. A bird-watcher for nearly 20 years, Mercer can't turn off his senses to their flutters and songs. "You start to recognize and build up a repertoire of the sounds," explained Mercer, director of Bristol's Silver Lake Nature Center. "People may think I'm not paying attention, but there are two different pieces of the brain.

"It's going to be a quiet fall," said Alan Gehret as he walked a quiet trail at Mill Grove Sanctuary. "There's just a lack of life out here today. . . . "It's frightening. " Gehret is assistant administrator at the 175-acre bird preserve in this Montgomery County village. "This summer has been real quiet with birds," Gehret said - not as many breeding as in the past, largely because the heat and drought affected the plants and insects they feed on. Very visibly, this year's drought has affected lawns and streams.

Maryland needs to keep an eye on its Baltimore orioles - not the baseball team, but the state bird. And 20 other states and Washington should do the same, according to a recent survey by the National Audubon Society. State birds in 21 states and the District of Columbia are declining, according to National Audubon's "State of the State Birds" analysis published in the latest issue of American Birds magazine. Stan Senner, a biologist and director of National Audubon's migratory bird conservation campaign, reviewed the results from the Interior Department's Breeding Bird Survey trends from 1966 through 1991.

The eminent ornithologist Roger Tory Peterson once groused publicly about the time and effort the National Audubon Society invests in environmental issues, such as rapid population growth. From his perspective, these problems are extraneous distractions that prevent Audubon from devoting its full attention to the plight of birds. That curiously narrow view exposed him as something of an ostrich, head so deep in the sand that he refused to acknowledge the impact of demographic growth on the habitat and food supply of his feathered friends.