Great Backyard Bird Count Party at the Bethlehem Public Library

We had a big turnout of about 65 participants for this year’s Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC) party at the Bethlehem Area Public Library!

Participants learned how to conduct their own count for the GBBC, practiced identifying birds, got to meet Te Kā, a Screech Owl from the Da Vinci Science Center, heard the story of how the newest edition of Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity came about, and went out for a guided bird walk at Nisky Hill Cemetery.

Yummy bird-themed refreshments were available, along with take-home handouts on bird ID and bird conservation.

Please enjoy this video made by LVAS volunteer Kelly Patla!

Thank you to Pattie Terrero, Diane Rudolph, Jon Levin, Dan Pokras, and Todd Watkins for helping make this possible, along with Bethlehem Area Public Library staff, Kelly Patla on video camera, and Brandon Swayser the Screech Owl wrangler!

Join LVAS Great Backyard Bird Count Party at Bethlehem Public Library on Feb. 14th

Please join Lehigh Valley Audubon Society for this year's Great Backyard Bird Count Party, in a brand new format!

Feb. 14, 10 am - Noon

We'll be at the Bethlehem Area Public Library community room, and we'll be combining the bird count with a book launch celebration!

Lots of fun will be had, as usual.

**REGISTRATION REQUIRED at www.bapl.org/backyard-bird-count or call 610-867-3761 to reserve your spot.**

Perfect Valentine's Gift for Bird Lovers: Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity

It's that time of year...when your loved ones need a new bird book.

All proceeds support Lehigh Valley Audubon Society's education and conservation work.

LVAS has been documenting our local birds for over ninety years and published data in a book, Birds of the Lehigh Valley and Vicinity. The fully revised 3rd edition is now available in our online Shop!

CANCELLED -- Birding Trip to Beltzville State Park

Due to the extremely cold weather forecast and the frozen lake, the trip to Beltzville State Park is CANCELLED. 

Rob hopes to reschedule it sometime later this winter.

Beltzville Lake is one of the premier locations for waterfowl in our area, and Winter is a great time for a wide variety of ducks and other waterfowl.

Saturday, Jan 24 · 8:00 AM to 11:00 AM EST

Photo of a male Ruddy Duck by Dave DeReamus

We'll scan the lake from a few vantage points for waterfowl, while keeping an eye on the nearby fields and forests for other birds. A scope is not needed, but if you have one please bring it along.

Where:  Beltzville State Park, 2950 Pohopoco Dr · Lehighton, PA

Meet at: Beltzville State Park, Parking Lot A for Pavilion #4, located at 40.861464, -75.624825

Leader: Rob Bergstresser (570-657-0990); For questions, please contact Rob

LVAS Meetup:  https://www.meetup.com/lehigh-valley-audubon-society/events/312541838/?eventOrigin=group_upcoming_events

Location via Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/place/40%C2%B051'41.1%22N+75%C2%B037'28.9%22W/@40.86142,-75.6247,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d40.86142!4d-75.6247?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDEwNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

A Few Basic Field Trip Guidelines:

• Cell phones should be on silent or vibrate mode.

• Keep voices low while birding to minimize disturbance of the birds and allow others in the group to hear the birds and learn their songs.

• Keep pace with the trip leader. Please do not jump ahead or fall behind.

• Bring your binoculars.

• Beginners and experienced birders all welcome!

• Have fun!

Never miss a guided walk or other LVAS event; become a member of our chapter!

12th Annual CBC4Kids Held!

Saturday, January 10, 2026 dawned with a threat of rain. Luckily, the rain held off until just after Lehigh Valley Audubon Society’s 12th annual CBC4Kids was over!

Eleven children from ages 4 to 10 spent time in our classroom at Muhlenberg College learning the purpose of bird counts, how to identify birds, and how to use binoculars. Then everyone piled into cars for a short drive to three local parks, and the three teams got to work spotting and recording birds. 

One of 3 bird counting teams of children who participated in Lehigh Valley Audubon Society’s 12th annual CBC4Kids on January 10, 2026

Altogether, the Crazy Crows, the Nutty Nuthatches, and the Mysterious Marshmallow Mallards counted 411 birds of 22 different species. Highlights included a Merlin, five species of duck, several Ruby-crowned Kinglets, and a Mute Swan strolling down the middle of the road. 

The morning concluded with snacks, a tally of the birds recorded, and a visit to the ornithology museum of Muhlenberg College. Kids left with a National Geographic bird book for children and other fun and educational materials. We hope they also left with the start of a lifetime habit of appreciating and conserving birds.

This year, LVAS volunteer Kelly Patla accompanied Team Nutty Nuthatches in the field and provided a video for us to enjoy. Watch the video here!

Event organizers: Barbara Malt and Chad Schwartz.

We thank everyone who contributed as helpers in the classroom and in the field: Peter Saenger, Dan Pokras, Mark Boyd, Jon Levin, and Kelly and Nathan Patla.

And thanks to all of our LVAS members who support this program and others with your membership dollars and donations!

Article written by Barbara Malt and published January 2026 in THE OSPREY VOLUME 50 • NUMBER 1.

THE OSPREY is the Quarterly Newsletter of The Lehigh Valley Audubon Society, provided first only to LVAS members.

Get all the latest news and event notifications by joining our Chapter of the The National Audubon Society.

Bird Watching Field Trip to Allentown Lakes

join lvas president, Barbara Malt, to check out some local lakes in Allentown for waterfowl and other birds.

Saturday, Jan 17 · 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM EST

These lakes are spring-fed and do not typically freeze, attracting a nice variety of waterfowl in the winter. We will begin at Trexler Memorial Park, and then will drive to a couple other local lakes.

Bufflehead photo by Dave DeReamus

Meet at the Trexler Memorial Park parking lot off Springhouse Road (40.590167, -75.529470)
Leader: Barbara Malt (610-657-2582)

Never miss a guided walk or other LVAS event; become a member of our chapter!