NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER NATURAL HISTORY And CONSERVATION

NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER NATURAL HISTORY And CONSERVATION

North American River Otter

Learn about the largest member of the weasel family found in our region, the North American River Otter. Uncover their basic natural history, their decline and conservation success story, and more, with cameos from the Da Vinci Science Center’s otters. 

Brandon Swayser, Director of Environmental Science and Living Collections at the Da Vinci Science Center presented this program. 

A great program for the kids!

For those that missed this LVAS program on September 25, 2025 or those who wish to see it again, following is the link to the program recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1mL0-juYHg

LVAS: September 5th Field Trip to View Chimney Swifts & Follow-up Report

Chimney Swifts photo credit: Peter Saenger

By late summer, Chimney Swifts have left their nest sites and are gathering in large numbers in preparation for migration to South America. The sight of Chimney Swifts gathering at dusk and funneling into communal roosts in chimneys can be impressive. The past week or two has seen good numbers of Swifts at the chimney at Raub Middle School in Allentown.

When: 7:15 p.m. on Friday, September 5. We will be done by 8:15

Where: We will watch from the top of the St. Luke's Hospital parking deck that is directly opposite the school.

Park along the street at Raub Middle School, 102 St. Cloud St., Allentown.  (Please do not use the hospital parking deck unless you are unable to walk or ride the elevator to the top of the deck. ) 

Come up to the top, open floor and look for us across from the school chimney.

This is an accessible field trip for anyone with mobility limitations, since you can drive up to the viewing spot if necessary. Bring a folding chair if you will need to sit down.

Note: Swift numbers can vary a lot as they move through. A large group can be there one day and gone the next. No guarantees!

Chimney Swift viewing trip Report:

DATE: September 5, 2025
Leader: Barbara Malt
Participants: 23

We met to view the Chimney Swifts gathering to roost at the Raub Middle School in Allentown. We were treated to large numbers of swifts congregating and swirling over the chimney. Eventually the swirling cloud of birds became tighter and individuals began to drop into the chimney.

We estimated at least 2,000 Swifts.

Glue Traps Kill Birds! Use Circle Traps to Control Spotted Lanternflies More Effectively.

Goldfinch trapped on a sticky trap wrapped around a tree trunk, under the chicken wire that failed to protect bycatch from the trap intended for Spotted Lanternflies (SLFs) - photo from Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation

Even with wire and mesh coverings, glue traps (sticky bands) intended for Spotted Lanternflies (SLFs) remain dangerous, and unintended bycatch, like the Goldfinch in this photo, still occurs.

Wildlife Rehabilitators receive victims trapped on protected glue tape/ sticky band traps. Insects are still captured and birds will crawl in for a meal. Also, mesh can fall off or be pulled off by a squirrel on the trunk.

Need more convincing? View the Glue Victims Gallery.

Fortunately, scientists have learned that Circle Traps are more effective at trapping SLFs than sticky tape.

And you can buy circle traps or read Penn State Extension’s directions on how to make Spotted Lanternfly Circle Traps.

Spread the word about the dangers of glue traps and the benefits of circle traps using our social media kit.

Engage with Lehigh Valley Audubon Society to Help Preserve Birds and Habitat!
Become a member, volunteer &/or donor.

CALL TO ACTION!

As bird lovers, we understand that a healthy environment is essential to the well-being of not just birds, but of all species, including humans. Unfortunately, recent federal actions will have direct negative impacts on birds and the lands we share with them. These include regulatory rollbacks that will be destructive to public lands by allowing more pollution and harmful extractive activities, mass firings of federal employees who have critical roles in maintaining the health of our public lands, withholding of grant funds to clean up or protect the environment, and discontinuation of programs to limit the effects of climate change.

The health of nature transcends politics, affecting every single one of us. And the U.S. has long had a strong bipartisan consensus in support of conservation.

We encourage everyone reading this message to step up now to defend the birds you love and the environment that sustains us.

How?

As a start, call your member of Congress (in the Lehigh Valley, that’s Ryan Mackenzie, (202) 225-6411) and your two Senators (in PA, that’s John Fetterman, (202) 224-4254 and Dave McCormick, 202-224-6324). Ask them (or their voicemail ) to preserve – not cut! – funding for programs that protect the environment, support clean energy, and maintain our National Parks, National Forests, National Wildlife Refuges and other key bird habitats.

THE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO VOTE ON A BUDGET RESOLUTION THIS WEEK (Feb. 24-28), SO CALLS TO RYAN MACKENZIE SHOULD BE MADE ASAP!

You might also consider:
• Signing up for Audubon’s Action Network, at https://www.audubon.org/takeaction
• Visiting the advocacy page of the League of Conservation Voters, at https://www.lcv.org/get-involved/#take-action-online
• Calling your lawmakers on a regular basis. Other topics might include: asking that personnel fired from agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service be reinstated; opposing the undermining of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act; and opposing expanded drilling and mining on public lands, including species-rich habitats such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Lastly, Lehigh Valley Audubon Society is considering creating a Rapid-Response team – bird/nature lovers interested in being contacted about time-sensitive environmental and bird-conservation-related issues, with suggested scripts for contacting lawmakers.

If you would be interested in participating – or have any questions or suggestions -- please send an email to conservation@lvaudubon.org.

If you’re not a member of our Community Chapter of Audubon, please join and/or volunteer to help with our ongoing Lehigh Valley preservation, advocacy, and education efforts.

Bluebird Nest Box Tips from LVAS Habitat Committee!

Spring thaw is right around the corner!!

Eastern Bluebird at entrance to nest box - photo provided by Lehigh Gap Nature Center

Provide Clean Nest Boxes for Bluebirds

Now is a great opportunity to finish up some winter projects and get ready for nicer weather and some great birding.

If you are thinking about adding a bluebird box to your property, now is a great time to get it installed. Birds are slowly moving around and starting to inspect locations for nests this season.

If you have nest boxes up already, now is the time to get them cleaned out and ready for the next generation of bluebirds! No need to add material, simply remove any old nesting material or caches that rodents may have left for winter.

Keep an eye out for more bird/habitat tips!

If you’re not a member of our Community Chapter of Audubon, please join and/or volunteer to help with our ongoing Lehigh Valley habitat preservation efforts.

You can read summaries of some of our efforts to Preserve habitat in the Lehigh Valley, like our multi-species Nest Box Trail System, or read related, more detailed stories by clicking a tag or category to filter this page.

Additional Bluebird Nest Box Construction and Maintenance Information:

https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/birds/eastern-bluebird/

https://www.audubon.org/news/how-build-bluebird-nest-box

Engage with LVAS, Help Maintain and Monitor Purple Martin Condos

We’ll need more help this year with installation labor, monitoring, maintenance, winter storage, and, of course, all the banding and data collection done each nesting season.

There were NO Purple Martins nesting at Minsi Lake before 2020. Thanks to Lehigh Valley Audubon Society (LVAS) volunteers, a large and growing Purple Martin colony can now be seen at Minsi Lake.

In 2024, the Northampton County Parks and Recreation and LVAS partnership managed 108 condos in six nesting towers—five at Minsi Lake Park and one at Louise Moore Park. Occupancy during nesting season in the Minsi Lake condos was over 90% with nesting pairs in 80 of the 90 condo units, including 36 new units.

Interested in volunteering? Email James Wilson, Recreation & Conservation Specialist for Northampton County Parks, at jwilson@norcop.gov to help with this Purple Martin project.

Complete the LVAS Volunteering Form to let us know what other volunteer opportunities might interest you.

Read more about Purple Martins at Minsi Lake.