Three Rivers Birding Club Outings
Throughout the year, we have many outings to locations in Western Pennsylvania and beyond. For a more comprehensive calendar of birding and other Western Pennsylvania natural history outings and outdoor activities of other groups, see the links at the bottom of this page under the heading of "Events Calendars".
If you are birding one of the areas listed below, download a PDF copy of the birding checklist provided and take it with you:
- Audubon Society of Western Pennsylvania — Beechwood Farms Bird Checklist
- Cook Forest — Cook Forest Bird Checklist
- Erie County, Pennsylvania — Erie County PA Bird Checklist
- Frick Park — Checklist of Birds in Frick Park
- Harrison Hills Park — Harrison Hills Park Bird Checklist
- Oil Creek State Park — Oil Creek State Park Bird Checklist
- Shenango Reservoir — Shenango Bird Checklist
- Westmoreland County — Westmoreland County Bird Checklist
- Yellow Creek State Park — Yellow Creek State Park Bird Checklist
Outings are free and open to the public. In the event of inclement weather, contact the leader in advance to confirm whether the outing is on or canceled. Also, contact the leader with any questions about weather, driving directions, or trail conditions. Although we, too, like our pets, it is the club's policy not to include them on our walks.
Below is a general statement that will be followed for all our outings. Also, the leader may have specific requirements that are stated in the outing description:
"It is our intention to foster a safe environment during our outings. Social distancing and mask wearing are not required, and sharing equipment is optional; however, attendees should respect individuals who decide to remain socially distant or wear masks. Pets are not permitted on 3RBC outings. The leader may have certain prerequisites and can end a walk if an uncomfortable situation arises."
In the event of a late cancellation of or a change to any of our outings, please check the Three Rivers Birding Club Facebook page or the "Items of Interest" section of the Home page of this website for the latest information on outings, cancellations, and other events that could not make our newsletter's deadline.
3RBC Current Outings --- April 2026
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Wednesday, April 1, 2026 - Woodcock Walk
This will be the final woodcock walk of this spring with leader Tom Byrnes (724-715-7184). Meeting time will be 7:00 PM. We will drive a short distance to a field in Harmar Township that has produced lots of American Woodcock in the past several years. Be prepared for a muddy walk and bring a flashlight. Before going to the field, we will check the Great Blue Heron nest and for possible cormorants, which in previous years were exciting finds on this trip.
Please note: We are meeting at the same starting location as last year.
Directions: GPS coordinates: 40.540648, -79.810521
From PA Route 28 Exit 11 continue right to Freeport Road, then turn left onto Freeport Road and head east. Continue 2.4 miles passing under the Turnpike until you see the parking lot of Harmar House on the left - 1349 Freeport Road.
Saturday, April 4, 2026 - Yellow Creek State Park
This outing will be a joint outing of the 3RBC and the Todd Bird Club. Meet Sue Dickson (724-388-5000) at the park office at 8:00 AM. The Park office is located on Route 259 just off Route 422 east of Indiana. Allow an hour and a half to drive from Pittsburgh.
The Park has a wide variety of habitats and a large lake that attracts a wide variety of waterbirds and sometimes exciting rarities.
Saturday, April 25, 2026 - Sewickley Heights Borough Park
Please note this limited Sewickley Heights outing for beginning/inexperienced birders is full!
This walk is intended for beginning/inexperienced birders and will be limited to the first six people who email the walk leader Adrian Fenton at AFe9963285@aol.com.
Sewickley Heights Park is an excellent location for seeing Spring migrating birds. We will go slowly to give everyone the opportunity to see and identify birds. The starting time will be at 7:30 AM in the upper parking lot. See the 3RBC Birding Locations page for directions. Please bring binoculars.
3RBC Current Outings --- May 2026
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Friday, May 1, 2026 — Sewickley Heights Borough Park
Join Sheree Daugherty (shereedaugherty@gmail.com) for our spring bird walk starting at 8:00 AM in the upper parking lot. See the 3RBC Birding Locations for directions. Be prepared for muddy trails.
This park is noted for having a variety of spring bird migrants such as warblers, vireos and other bird species surprises.
Saturday, May 2, 2026 — Boys Home Park in South Fayette Township
Meet Malcolm Kurtz (malcolmwkurtz@gmail.com) at 8:30 AM at the parking lot at the end of Rutherglen Drive. This birding location is an eBird hotspot and an opportunity for an outing in the South Hills.
GPS coordinates: 40.385180, -80.175165
Sunday, May 3, 2026 — Frick Park
Join Michelle Kienholtz (mlkienholz@aol.com) 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.
Friday, May 8, 2026 — North Park
We will meet our leader Adrian Fenton (AFe9963285@aol.com) at the Gold Star Pavilion in North Park on Lake Shore Drive at 7:30 AM GPS coordinates: 40.593884, -80.003844.
We will bird Gold Star wetlands area, Marshall Lake and if time permits, part of Latodomi Nature Center.
Adrian would like participants to email him at AFe9963285@aol.com to let him know you plan to attend.
Saturday, May 9, 2026 — Harrison Hills Park
Meet leader Dave Brooke (724-487-3586) at 8:00 AM at this county park off Freeport Road between Natrona Heights and Freeport at the Environmental Learning Center parking lot. GPS: 40.6572, -79.7024. As you enter the park stay left and then turn left at the first intersection and go up the hill to the large parking lot.
Dress for wet grass and mud. Previous spring outings have produced a nice variety of migrants, including warblers and vireos.
Saturday, May 16, 2026 — Deer Lakes County Park
John Vassallo (johnnvassallo@yahoo.com) and Todd Hooe will lead us on their annual Deer Lakes County Park spring outing. Our 7:30 AM meeting place will be at the parking lot at these GPS coordinates: 40.618722, -79.815371. From Creighton-Russellton Road, enter the park at Kurn Road, drive by two ponds on the right, then make a right turn, and proceed to the last parking lot.
Although the trails are pretty well maintained, please dress for possible wet grass, mud, and rainfall.
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 — Frick Park
Meet Charity Kheshgi charitykheshgi@gmail.com and co-leader Kate St. John Outside My Window for a mid-week bird walk in Frick Park. We will start at the Blue Slide entrance at 8:30 AM and continue to 10:30 AM.
We will do our best to avoid the worst of the hills and hope to see the spring migrants that visit here.
Location of Blue Slide entrance: Beechwood Blvd. and Nicolson St.
Saturday, May 23, 2026 — State Game Land #330 (Piney Tract)
On Saturday, May 23rd Michael Leahy, from Seneca Rocks Audubon Society in Clarion, will show participants some of the highlights around a very special place in Clarion County - State Game Land #330, known as Piney Tract.
Piney Tract is a 2,300 acre, reclaimed, strip mine located in central Clarion County, that holds arguably the densest population of Henslow's Sparrows and other grassland breeding birds in Pennsylvania and, likely, the eastern United States. It has been designated as a Global Important Bird Area (#21).
We will meet at 9:00 AM in the game lands parking area on Mt. Zion Road. There are NO facilities in the area, so bring water, snacks and lunch. Although insects are seldom a problem here, insect repellent for ticks may be in order.
We will walk a couple of areas here and then drive to a couple of other areas nearby to look for other good birds. Some species to be expected are Henslow's, Savanah, Grasshopper, Clay-colored, and possibly Vesper Sparrows. Northern Harrier, Kestrel, Boblink, Prairie Warbler, and Eastern Meadowlark are fairly common. Breeding populations of Upland Sandpiper and Short-eared Owls have been documented
There is no address here to put into your GPS; however, the actual coordinates for the parking area are these:
41 Degrees 08'49"N & 79 Degrees 29'57"W or 41.147125, -79.499155
For Directions, questions or more information contact Michael Leahy at mrl706@gmail.com Or you can phone or text him at 814-229-1648
In case of inclement weather, the field trip will be canceled. Call or text Michael to confirm details.
3RBC Current Outings --- June 2026
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Saturday, June 6 2026 — Cook Forest State Park
Mike Leahy has invited us to join him for an outing at Cook Forest with the Seneca Rocks Audubon Society in conjunction with the Cook Forest Conservancy.
Make plans to get your spring "warbler fix" with an outing to one the best migrating warbler traps in Western Pennsylvania, Cook Forest State Park.
Michael Leahy from Knox, PA, a long-time member of Seneca Rocks Audubon Society in Clarion, will be the leader for a field trip to one of the gems of the Pennsylvania State Park system, Cook Forest. Located along the picturesque Clarion River, Cook Forest has some of the largest tracts of ancient and virgin forest remaining in Pennsylvania.
Classified as a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service, Cook Forest State Park is often referred to as the "Black Forest" of Pennsylvania. The park's 11,586 acres contain some of the largest specimens of Eastern Hemlock and White Pine found in all of the eastern states. At 184.7 feet tall, the "Longfellow Pine" was the tallest White Pine tree in the Northeastern United States and the 3rd tallest east of the Mississippi River. Unfortunately, it was felled during a microburst in May of 2018. We will visit the remains.
Cook Forest with all of its acres of mature evergreen and hardwood trees is a real magnet for large numbers of migrating warblers and other forest dependent passerines.
We will meet at the Park office at 9:00 AM and then proceed to the Log Cabin Interpretive Center, where we will begin our adventure into the "Forest Cathedral." Depending on time and group preferences, we may visit the fire tower where you can climb to the top and maybe look a Blackburnian Warbler right in the eye and then visit Seneca Rocks overlook for spectacular views of the Clarion River Valley and surrounding countryside.
Set your GPS coordinates to 41.33309, -79.20902 (100 State Route 36, Cooksburg, PA) and you will make it to the park office. There are restrooms available at both the park office and the Log Cabin Interpretive Center. Bring water and a lunch, or if the weather is wet, there are several restaurants to choose from.
For directions, questions, or more information contact Michael Leahy at mrl706@gmail.com. Or you can phone or text him at 814-229-1648
In case of inclement weather, the field trip will be canceled. Call or text Mike to confirm details.
Sunday, June 7, 2026 — Frick Park
Meet Michelle Kienholz at 8:00 AM at the Frick Park Environmental Center located at 2005 Beechwood Blvd, in Squirrel Hill, 15217 for a morning bird walk in Frick Park.
Michelle will be conducting a Breeding Bird Atlas survey, so this would be a good opportunity to help or learn about the survey.
There will be a limit of 10 participants. Please register with Michelle at mlkienholz@aol.com.
Saturday, September 26, 2026 — 3RBC Annual Picnic at Boyce-Mayview Park
Details will be forthcoming!
