SMAS

Overview and Activities

Quick Look

Next Field Trip: CANCELLED Saturday 15th August, Shorebird Drive

Next Meeting: 7 pm Monday, 21st September, Peregrine Falcons

Meetings

Unless indicated otherwise, all SMAS Programs are held at the Adams County Agricultural Resource Center, 670 Old Harrisburg Road, Gettysburg, PA at 7:30 pm (social time starting at 7 pm). A room number for the SMAS meeting will be posted on the front lobby entry inner door.

Field Trips

FIELD TRIPS - Field trips will be planned on an annual basis and a tentative list will be sent in late December to those on our email list. Details for day trips will be announced in the monthly email blasts, and details for overnight trips will be announced a few months in advance. Also, information can be found on this website. Each monthly email will list a contact person and a meeting place and time for the upcoming events. If you are not on our email list, you can contact Mike Bertram at the2nomads@gmail.com or call 717-809-3911 (please leave a voicemail) if you have questions or need other details. Field trip cancellations will be announced by email as soon as possible and also on this website.

Local Bird Sightings in 2025

The Adams County list for 2025 had 3 species that are not regularly seen: Common Gallinule, Little Blue Heron, and Alder Flycatcher.

The South Adams Grasslands Important Bird Area (IBA) had 5 species that are not not regularly observed: Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Common Gallinule, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Cerulean Warbler, and Clay-colored Sparrow. The regularly seen Bonaparte's Gull was missing.

The South Mountain IBA list was missing 9 species that are normally observed: Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Merganser, Kestrel, Bonaparte's Gull, Horned Lark, American Pipit, Prairie Warbler, and Rusty Blackbird.

There were no observations of new species on any of the lists.

Meetings and other Activities

CANCELLED Field Trip:, Saturday 15th August, Shorebird Drive Depends on conditions. Details to follow.

Field Trip: 7:30 am, Saturday 22nd August, Big Spring This walk will follow a paved road.

This is a relatively level walk along a road that follows a creek. We will meet at 7:30 AM in the parking area where Big Spring Road intersects with Springfield Road just outside of Newville. After meeting, we can place vehicles at various parking areas along the road for those who do not wish to do the entire walk and so that we can carpool back to the starting point.

Bring water and a snack, if needed. There are no restroom facilities here. There is a Sheetz at the intersection of Routes 233 and 11. This is a good place to use the restroom before joining the walk.

DIRECTIONS: From Pine Grove Furnace State Park - Take Route 233 North (Centerville Road) for 9 miles to the intersection of Route 11/Ritner Highway. Turn left onto Route 11. (Turn right onto Route 11 if leaving from Sheetz.) In about 1.5 miles, turn right onto Log Cabin Road. Follow Log Cabin Road to a T intersection. Turn right and then a QUICK left to remain on Log Cabin Road. At the next T intersection with Big Spring Road, turn left and the parking area will be on your left. A map of the parking area is shown below.

GPS Coordinates: 40.13002° N, 77.40770° W

Questions? contact Scott Wood at 973-975-6122.

Big Spring plan image not found

Big Spring hike location

Field Trip: 7:00 pm Saturday, September 5th, Michaux State Forest

Meet at 7:30 AM at the Big Flat parking lot off Shippensburg Road. This will be a 5-mile loop hike using the Anthill, Abigail, and Orchards trails. The first 2 trails named have ascents and descents, and they have rocks, tree roots, and other obstacles across the trails. We will be looking for birds infiltrating into the newly opened areas produced by the recent rescue logging. There are also new views and overlooks.

Wear appropriate footwear and bring water and bug repellent. There is a bathroom at Big Flat. Cell phone service is unreliable at Big Flat and along the trails.

Directions from Gettysburg: Take PA 34 north to Biglerville. Turn left on 234 West. Turn right in Arendtsville to follow 234 West. In about 3 miles, just past Conewago Campground, turn right onto Shippensburg Road. In less than 2 miles, turn left to continue onto Shippensburg Road. Go straight across Route 233 at the 4-way intersection. Big Flat parking lot will be on the left in less than 2 miles after crossing Route 233.

Corrected GPS Coordinates: 39.98836° N, 77.40135° W In case of inclement weather, please contact Scott Wood for confirmation of the walk, as this email address will be unmonitored from August 30 through September 15.

Meeting: 7:00 pm Monday, September 21st, The Peregrine Falcons of the Rachel Carson Building in Harrisburg.

Meeting: 7:00 pm Monday, October 19th, Gettysburg’s Bucket List: Least Shrew and other small mammals from the battlefield.

The South Mountain Audubon Society aims are to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth's biological diversity focusing on Adams County, PA.

The Society works towards those aims with meetings, birding trips, and conservation activities.

There are 2 Important Bird Areas locally:

Click here to join National Audubon and the South Mountain Audubon Society (based on your zip code).

If you want to join the South Mountain Audubon Society but not National Audubon then sign up at the next event you attend. The annual membership is $15.

The Society can be contacted in the following ways:

email: the2nomads@gmail.com

Tel.: 717-809-3911

Mail: SMAS, P.O. Box 3671, Gettysburg, PA 17325.

Educational Initiatives

Each year, South Mountain Audubon chooses a school to be the recipient of new library books chosen by the school’s librarian, approved by our board, and funded with members’ donations to our education budget. Recently the Alloway Creek Elementary School in the Littlestown Area School District received their donation. Pictured below is the school’s librarian, Linda Fink, with the new collection.

Alloway not found