Three Rivers Birding Club

Unfortunately, the Outing to Piney Tract on May 23, 2026, has been cancelled due to the poor weather prediction.

Sunday, May 3, 2026 — Frick Environmental Center
Join Michelle Kienholtz ([email protected]) for a morning bird walk in Frick Park starting at 8:00 AM. We will start our walk at the Environmental Center located at 2005 Beechwood Blvd, in Squirrel Hill, 15217.
Frick Park is an excellent location for the spring migration. We're hoping for lots of warblers.

This Outing will take place in spite of the Pittsburgh Marathon!

What is the most exciting Allegheny County bird sighting you have made recently? For me, it was the American avocets last week!

A previously-unknown warbler hybrid has been discovered in South Carolina! We are featuring some information about this special bird on our website and a link to a full article about the bird can be found below: https://3rbc.org/ #:~:text=%C2%A0%C2%A0%C2%A0BRAND%20NEW%20WARBLER%20HYBRID%20FOUND%20IN%20SOUTH%20CAROLINA
Also read this article in the news about the finding: https://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/environment/article311621106.html

Hilton Head birders identify a hybrid bird species. It’s the first of its kind. When Mary Alice Tartler saw a bird on her friend’s feeder, she was stumped. After calling in other birding experts, they identified the first known hybrid bird of its kind.

A NEW PYMATUNING WILDLIFE LEARNING CENTER IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION
The Pennsylvania Game Commission broke ground on a new Pymatuning Wildlife Learning Center on May 19. It will replace the previous wildlife center, which closed in 2014 after more than 75 years in operation. The new center will be a much larger, more modern, and more user-friendly than its predecessor.

https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pgc/newsroom/new-pymatuning-wildlife-learning-center-under-construction.html

Duquesne Light's Woods Run facility has been the home of a pair of nesting Canada Geese for three years now!

The Peregrine Falcons at Pitt, Carla and Ecco, welcomed their first egg of the season.

Pitt’s Peregrine Falcons Welcome First Egg of the Nesting Season - National Aviary Nesting season is officially underway for the Peregrine Falcon pair that has made their nest at the Cathedral of Learning on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Oakland. Today, Morela,...

We've been getting lots of questions about the Hays Bald Eagles' nest. Will there be a nest visible from the cam this year? Bald Eagles need to be mature to breed - that generally happens when they're about 5 years old. The eagle(s) that have been roosting in view of the cam are not yet mature. You can tell by looking at their feathers. A mature Bald Eagle has only white feathers on its head. There have been numerous instances of the immature eagle(s) being chased away by mature eagles. So how many eagles are on scene here? We can't be sure, but with waterways freezing up, the still-available fishing on the Mon looks pretty enticing to an eagle. They'll congregate around the area where food is readily available, which is why we are seeing so many eagles. Regarding the number of eagles regionally - in the Christmas Bird Count, we found 5 Bald Eagles in southern Butler County and 4 in the Pittsburgh count (which does not include the Hays nest area). Bald Eagles are getting to be a "common" bird in our area and that is great news! We'll have to wait a bit longer to find out if there will be a nest rebuilt in Hays this year--and where it might be. We'll keep you posted! Pictured: an immature Bald Eagle perched in the tree that used to be home to the Hays Bald Eagles' nest.

We recently learned that there's a rather new, very promising Hawkwatch site located on the Chestnut Ridge. (Thank you to Don Koch for the following information!)

If you have ever visited Uniontown, PA in Fayette County, and looked east to the ridge top, you may have noticed the huge Jumonville Cross perched in an opening on the ridge top. If you have, you’ve seen the exact location of the Summit Mountain Hawkwatch. It represents the closest Hawkwatch to both Pittsburgh and Greensburg.

Peter Livengood is the founder of this Hawkwatch. He started this site in 2018 as a Boy Scout research project and has manned it periodically ever since. But this fall of 2024 represents his first all-out effort at this site. The numbers amassed so far are proving this site to be a valuable addition to Hawk Migration Association of North America’s roster of Pennsylvanian Hawkwatches.

At this site, there are views to both the east and the west, and the birds are somewhat scattered at times. More observers would certainly help the cause, as more eyes would equate to better coverage.

The Summit Mountain site itself is open to the public, but access to the site entails a 1/2 mile, rather steep climb up a narrow paved road to the cross/watch site. If you aren’t able to make the climb, visitors can reach Peter at 724-984-2119 to arrange for him to unlock the gate in order for you to be able to drive up to the watch site. Please note parking is very limited, so carpooling may be necessary.

For more information, or to find another Hawkwatch site near you, check out the links below:
https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?r=on&rsite=802&go=Go+To+Hawkwatch+Profile

https://www.hmana.org/new-to-hawkwatching/

New to Hawkwatching? – HMANA You can see dozens, hundreds, and some days thousands of hawks migrating past you right near where you live if you follow these few simple guidelines.