Three Rivers Birding Club

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.

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 follow the CDC and local county guidelines. We request that social distancing still be observed and encourage people not to share equipment. The leader may have other restrictions in place 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 2024

Saturday, April 6, 2024 — Yellow Creek State Park

This outing will be a joint outing of the 3RBC and the Todd Bird Club. Meet Margaret Higbee (724-354-3493) 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.

Please email Margaret (bcoriole@windstream.net) to let her know you will be attending.

Wednesday, April 10, 2024 — 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, which in previous years was an exciting find on this trip.

Directions: The meeting place is in the shopping center off the exit 11 of Route 28 and Freeport Road in Harmar. We will meet in the parking area located near the intersection of Anchor Dr. and Alpha Dr. within the shopping center (behind Gino's Restaurant). GPS coordinates: 40.5394261, -79.835610

Photo credit: Mike Fialkovich

Saturday, April 20, 2024 — Raccoon Creek State Park

This is combination bird and wildflower walk with the Brooks Bird Club, based in West Virginia. Ryan Tomazin (412-220-9726, wvwarblers@hotmail.com) will be leading the bird walk. We will meet at the Roadside Picnic Area West at 9:15 AM.
After checking out the picnic parking lot area, we then will drive to the beach and around the lake to continue our birding. There are no plans for a potluck lunch; therefore, people can bring their own lunches, and everyone can use the picnic tables at Roadside Picnic Area West.
If there is any interest, and if the weather holds, people can bird and botanize the Wildflower Reserve. It should be the perfect time for wildflowers.
If you have any questions, or would like to RSVP, please feel free to contact Ryan either by phone or by email. Hope to see you there!
In case of inclement weather, the outing will be canceled; it will not be rescheduled.

Directions: From Pittsburgh take Route 22/30 and exit at Imperial. Take Route 30 west to the Raccoon Creek State Park entrance on the left, and drive through the park to the Roadside West picnic area.

Sunday, April 21, 2024 — Duck Hollow

Meet Malcolm Kurtz (malcolmgardener101@gmail.com) at 8:00 AM at the Duck Hollow Trail parking lot right on the river. We will spend about an hour and a half exploring the river and trail for waterfowl, early migrants, and local birds. Parking lot GPS coordinates: 40.414571, -79.916642.

Directions for Duck Hollow are on the 3RBC website.

Friday, April 26, 2024 — Sewickley Heights Borough Park
Hooded Warbler

Join Sheree Daugherty (shereedaugherty@gmail.com) for our spring bird walk starting at 8:00 AM in the upper parking lot. 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.

See the 3RBC website for directions.

Sunday, April 28, 2024 - Frick Park

We will meet Michelle Kienholz (mlkienholz@aol.com) at 8:00 AM at the Frick Park Environmental Center located at 2005 Beechwood Blvd, in Squirrel Hill, 15217.

Frick Park can be an excellent migrant trap and, as usual, we're hoping for lots of warblers and other Spring migrants. As this is early in the migration period, Michelle will give tips on where to go birding in Frick in the coming weeks.

We will leave promptly at 8 and head over to Riverview Extension Trail, in case anyone is running late and needs to catch up.

3RBC Current Outings --- May 2024

Friday, May 3, 2024 — Sewickley Heights Borough Park

Meet Sheree Daugherty (shereedaugherty@gmail.com) for our second spring bird walk at Sewickley starting at 8:00 AM in the upper parking lot. Be prepared for muddy trails.

3RBC website

Friday, May 10, 2024 — 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 11, 2024 — Deer Lakes County Park

Meet Oliver Lindhiem (ojlindiem@gmail.com) and John Vassallo ((johnnvassallo@yahoo.com) at 7:30 AM at the park. Although the trails are pretty well maintained, please dress for possible wet grass, mud and rainfall.

Our meeting place will be at the parking lot in Deer Lakes Park at these GPS coordinates: 40.618722, -79.815371. From Creighton-Russellton Road, enter the park (Kurn Road), drive by two ponds on the right, then make a right turn and proceed to the last parking lot.

Saturday, May 18, 2024 — Linda's Farm

Linda Croskey has invited us to visit her farm for this bird walk. We will meet at 8:00 AM at 882 Deer Creek Road, Gibsonia, PA 15044 (GPS coordinates: 40.665712 -79.8923529). Location is northern Allegheny County in West Deer Township. There will be a sign at the end of the driveway. Across the road is Harvest Valley Farm.

Linda's farm is comprised of a variety of natural habitats; several acres of goldenrod fields, farm fields with brushy edges, mature deciduous trees, several wildflower and milkweed meadows. This attracts grassland birds, warblers, and many spring migrants. Dress for ticks and bring water and snacks. Walking is mostly level along paths with a few hills over uneven terrain.

For additional directions call Linda at 724-612-9963 or email her at lcroskey@consolidated.net

Sunday, May 19, 2024 — 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. Previous spring outings have produced a nice variety of migrants, including warblers, and vireos.

We will be meeting and starting our walk at the Rachel Carson parking lot near the pond. As you enter the park, bear right and proceed to the parking lot at the end of the road. Dress for wet grass and mud.

3RBC Current Outings --- June 2024

Saturday, June 8, 2024 — Picnic at Harrison Hills Park

We will hold our 3RCB picnic this year at Harrison Hills Park on Saturday, June 8th. This will be a bring your own lunch picnic starting at 12:00 PM at the Yakaon pavilion. The pavilion is located across from the Environmental Center. 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.

Prior to the picnic we will be having a bird walk starting at 9:00 AM. The walk will start at the Rachel Carson parking lot near the pond. As you enter the park, bear right and proceed to the parking lot at the end of the road.