Summer of Birds Series
This year is for the birds! Loyalsock Foundation is partnering with local bird enthusiasts and the Lycoming Audubon Society to deliver a series of birding walks and programs starting in May. We invite the community to celebrate our winged friends this summer as we offer a diverse array of programming for all ages.
Did You Know?
The Summit Loop is an officially recognized eBird Hot Spot. Created by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, eBird is a way for anyone around the world to store birding observations, photos, and sound recordings and make them available to educators, scientists and birders. Hundreds of thousands of people around the world are using eBird and it continues to grow.
For more information and to see what birds have been spotted on the Summit Loop, click here.
Join in the birding fun by creating your own eBird account here - it’s free!
2025 Birding Programs
Photo by Rick Liebert
Birding Walk Led by Marria Walsh and Rick Liebert
Saturday, May 31, 8 am - 9:30 am
Summit Loop, Laporte
Join Marria and Rick for a guided bird walk around the Summit Loop.
Participants should bring a good pair of binoculars. The Merlin app can be downloaded for free and can be helpful for bird songs and identification. If you’re a camera buff, plan on a 400 mm lens but 600-800 mm is preferable.
Dress for the weather. Good hiking shoes are recommended. Plan on walking up to two miles.
In case of inclement weather, the walk will be canceled.
Meet at the top of the driveway.
Your Guides: Marria Walsh is a summer resident of Eagles Mere. Marria loves birding in Sullivan County, especially at World’s End State Park in the spring. Rick Liebert is an amateur wildlife photographer who specializes in raptors. Check out his photo display at the Sullivan County Library in Dushore.
Photo by Rick Liebert
Birding for Beginners Led by Bruce Buckle and Sara Street, Lycoming Audubon Society
Saturday, June 21, 8 am - 10 am
Summit Loop, Laporte
If you’re new to birding, this is the walk for you! Bruce Buckle, president of the Lycoming Audubon Society, will introduce you to the basics of birdwatching. Binoculars will be available for you to use.
Meet at the top of the driveway.
Your Guides: Bruce Buckle is a retired educator and President of the Lycoming Audubon Society. Sara Street is the Rider Park Manager and Lycoming Audubon Society's Conservation Chair.
Hummingbirds: Jewels of the Air Led by Sandy Lockerman, Licensed Bird Bander
Wednesday, June 25, 7 pm - 8 pm
DCNR Loyalsock District Office, 6735 US-220, Dushore
Sandy Lockerman, a licensed bird bander, will discuss the intriguing world of hummingbirds. She will help you to take a look as some of their unique adaptations and migration mysteries. In addition to her ongoing ruby-throat project, she will update you on the documentation efforts being made of western hummingbirds in Pennsylvania.
Your Guide: Read more about Sandy’s background and work here.
The Summit Bird Safari Challenge
July 1-31
Online
Do you like to look for birds? Do you have a phone or a camera? Did you know the Summit Loop in Laporte is recognized as an eBird Hot Spot?
This summer, you are invited to take pictures of birds while on the Summit Loop trail as part of our Bird Safari Challenge. You can submit bird photos to be in the running for a nifty prize!
Stay tuned for more details.
Birding Walk Led by Sara Street, Lycoming Audubon Society
Thursday, August 14, 6 pm - 8 pm
Summit Loop, Laporte
Join Sara Street, Rider Park Manager (and Sullivan County native) for an evening bird walk on the Summit Loop.
Meet at the top of the driveway.
Your Guide: Sara Street is the Rider Park Manager and the Lycoming Audubon Society's Conservation Chair.
The Big Year Midday Movie Matinee, hosted by the Sullivan County Library
Friday, August 15, 1 pm - 3 pm
Sullivan County Library, 209 Center St., Dushore
Take a break from the heat and enjoy this hilarious movie. Three men find that they have come to a turning point. Stu (Steve Martin) faces a late-life crisis, Kenny (Owen Wilson) is in the grip of a midlife crisis, and Brad (Jack Black) is wallowing in a no-life crisis. Determined to kick-start their stagnant lives, Stu, Kenny and Brad decide to enter a prestigious contest. During the course of one calendar year, the three friendly rivals criss-cross North America in a quest to count more species of birds than anyone else.