The Saturday before Christmas, nine of us ambled in Glen Providence Park on a beautiful, cold, sunny morning for the Christmas Bird Count. It has become a fond holiday tradition (and reunion!), with most of our group having participated in multiple Bird Counts. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their eyes and ears that morning!

We documented 306 birds of 25 species – with the quantity due to eight flocks of Canada Geese flying overhead. Some of our most exciting sightings were a Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, and several woodpeckers and vultures. Once again this year, the Great Horned Owl that has been calling many nights around the park did not make an appearance that day, but we heard it just the night before.

It was the 123rd year for the CBC – the world’s longest-running Citizen Science survey! Here is our official Christmas Bird Count list of 25 species for Saturday, December 17, 2022:

Canada Goose – 171
Mourning Dove – 17
Black Vulture – 1
Turkey Vulture – 6
Red-tailed Hawk – 2
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 3
Downy Woodpecker – 2
Hairy Woodpecker – 3
Pileated Woodpecker – 1
Blue Jay – 3
American Crow – 3
Fish Crow – 9
Carolina Chickadee – 5
Tufted Titmouse – 7
White-breasted Nuthatch – 6
Brown Creeper – 1
Winter Wren – 1
Carolina Wren – 7
American Robin – 22
House Finch – 7
American Goldfinch – 4
Dark-eyed Junco – 8
White-throated Sparrow – 7
Song Sparrow – 3
Northern Cardinal – 6

A few photos from that morning are below, and a video by Carol Carmon…

Several Friends of Glen Providence Park citizen scientists recently gathered in the park to test a water sample for a number of factors which indicate stream health.

Broomall’s Run, a tributary of Ridley Creek, enters the park at Third Street and exits close to Baltimore Pike. Until recently the stream was dammed, creating an artificial lake on the Broomall’s Lake Country Club property adjacent to the park. Part of the stream is currently directed through a manmade pond within the park.

The water collected was tested on-site for temperature, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, pH, phosphates and turbidity. Future testing will include coliform bacteria and macroinvertebrates.

The Friends of Glen Providence Park hope to understand how the stream compares with other water sources in the Commonwealth. In addition, area residents are curious about the impact of stormwater runoff which can also be impacted by pesticide and herbicide use in developed areas of the Borough.

The nonprofit organization, created to preserve and enhance the county’s first public park, is planning to continue periodic testing in various areas of the stream. Additional volunteers are welcome – please email us at FriendsoftheGlen [at] gmail [dot] com if you’re interested!

The Saturday before Christmas, eight of us headed out on a very overcast morning in Glen Providence Park for the Christmas Bird Count. The air was damp, making it feel colder than the thermometer’s 40 degrees! But the Bird Count never fails to be a literal and figurative breath of fresh air in the midst of the holiday bustle, and we were accompanied by wonderful people. We documented 140 birds of 28 species – second only to last year’s wintry count, when we documented 29 species!

Some of our most exciting sightings were a Brown Creeper, Hermit Thrush, Winter Wren, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, and Red-shouldered Hawks! Alas, the Great Horned Owl that has been calling many nights around the park did not make an appearance that day, but having heard it just the night before, we were able to include it in our count for the week.

It was the 122nd year for the CBC – the world’s longest-running Citizen Science survey! Here is our official Christmas Bird Count list of 28 species for Saturday, December 18, 2021:

Mallard – 10
Mourning Dove – 18
Turkey Vulture – 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1
Cooper’s Hawk – 1
Red-shouldered Hawk – 1
Belted Kingfisher – 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 5
Downy Woodpecker – 1
Hairy Woodpecker – 1
Northern Flicker – 1
Blue Jay – 5
American Crow – 6
Fish Crow – 5
Carolina Chickadee – 2
Tufted Titmouse – 5
White-breasted Nuthatch – 3
Brown Creeper – 1
Winter Wren – 1
Carolina Wren – 2
Hermit Thrush – 1
American Robin – 46
House Finch – 3
Dark-eyed Junco – 6
White-throated Sparrow – 9
Song Sparrow – 1
Northern Cardinal – 2

It was overcast enough that it was hard to see the birds with binoculars, much less capture their picture, but here are a few photos from the Bird Count and Christmas Bird Count Week…

Carol Carmon’s video on YouTube (below) captures the morning beautifully!

COVID notice: All of our events will follow the latest COVID protocols. All will require masks and physical distancing, and most will have attendance limits with email pre-registration required. All events are subject to change or cancellation due to COVID.

See the individual events in our Calendar for more information and logistics. All events are family-friendly and free to pre-registered participants. We hope to see you in the park!

Friends of Glen Providence Park
2021 Schedule of Events

10th Anniversary History & Nature Walk with Marcia Tate & Stephanie Gaboriault
Saturday, January 30, 2:00-4:00pm
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

Love Your Park Walk with Chris McNichol
Saturday, February 20, 10:00am-12:00pm
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

CRC Streams Clean-up
Saturday, March 20, 9:00-11:00am
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain or shine

Nature Walk with Rick Ray
Saturday, April 10, 1:30-3:00pm
Entrance TBA
Rain or shine

Spring Bird Walk with Dave Eberly
Saturday, May 15, 8:00-10:00am
Meet at 3rd & Kirk Lane entrance
Rain or shine

2021 Arts in the Park!
We are delighted to hold the concerts this year that were postponed from 2020 due to COVID. See our Arts in the Park announcement for details, and our Calendar for individual listings.
All Saturdays, 5:00-6:30, with Sunday rain dates:

• Soul & Jazz Pop Fusion with Danie Ocean on June 26
• Rhythm & Soul with Paul Downie & Friends on July 10
• Charming & Virtuosic Classical Guitar with the Kossler Duo on August 7
• African Folkloric Performance Art with Malidelphia on September 11

National Public Lands Day Plantings 
Saturday, October 2, 9:00–12:00 noon
Location TBD
Rain date Sunday, October 3

Green Friday Walk with Holly Hoffmann & Aura Lester
Friday, November 26, time tba — RESCHEDULED to Saturday, December 4
Meet at State Street entrance
Drizzle, snow, or shine

Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, December 18, 8:30-10:30am
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

Keep Media Green will be holding a spring volunteer event on Saturday, April 24 at 10:00am, with Glen Providence Park as one of the locations.

The Great Media Easter Egg Hunt could not be held this year by Media Lions & McCarrin Chiropractic. It’s the park’s longest-running event, held annually since 1954, until it was canceled in 2020 & 2021 due to COVID.

Updates:

• Start time for April’s nature walk updated on 3-19-2021
• Date for National Public Lands Day updated on 4-6-2021, and changed back(!) on 4-15-2021
• Arts in the Park concerts added on 5-25-2021! Also noted that the Egg Hunt could not be held.

This morning we headed out in wintry Glen Providence Park for the Christmas Bird Count, our first monthly event since Covid-19. We limited attendance to eight masked and distanced people, each of whom has joined us on past bird counts. Starting out when it was 19 degrees(!), it was our coldest CBC yet. The birds were undaunted – we counted 29 species, the most of any since we started in 2011!

Some of our most exciting sightings were a pair of Red-tailed Hawks, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pine Siskins, Winter Wren, Brown Creeper, and Snow Geese flying overhead. And there were crows harassing an unseen bird on the western hill, likely the Great Horned Owl we have been hearing! It was exhilarating to be out in the cold, in the beautiful snowy woods, with wonderful company.

Both at the beginning and end of the morning, we saw a gorgeous Red Fox in the wetlands at Broomall’s Lake Country Club.

It was the 121st year for the CBC – the world’s longest-running Citizen Science survey! Here is our official Christmas Bird Count list of 29 species for Saturday, December 19, 2020:

Snow Goose – 3
Canada Goose -79
Mourning Dove – 8
Turkey Vulture – 2
Cooper’s Hawk – 1
Red-tailed Hawk – 2
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker – 2
Downy Woodpecker – 3
Hairy Woodpecker – 2
Blue Jay – 2
American Crow – 5
Fish Crow – 1
Carolina Chickadee – 6
Tufted Titmouse – 7
Red-breasted Nuthatch – 1
White-breasted Nuthatch – 4
Brown Creeper – 1
Winter Wren – 1
Carolina Wren – 3
European Starling – 10
American Robin – 7
Pine Siskin – 9
American Goldfinch – 9
Dark-eyed Junco – 7
White-throated Sparrow – 17
Song Sparrow – 8
Red-winged Blackbird – 3
Northern Cardinal – 8

And to include those birds who weren’t cooperative enough to appear on the big day, here are the additional species we saw or heard in the glen during Christmas Bird Count Week (from the Wednesday before to the Tuesday after the Christmas Bird Count):

Mallard
Great Blue Heron
Great Horned Owl

Photos from this morning and Christmas Bird Count Week below…

See the individual events in our Calendar for more information and logistics. All events are free, family-friendly, and open to the public – we hope to see you in the park!

Friends of Glen Providence Park
2020 Schedule of Events

Schedule subject to change – please check back to confirm times, details, and meeting locations.

UPDATE: Covid-19 cancelations and postponements are noted below.

Winter Discovery Walk with Mike Rolli
Sunday, January 26, 1:00-3:00pm
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

Love Your Park Walk with Chris McNichol
Saturday, February 15, 10:00am-12:00pm
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

Geology Walk with Charles Randall
Saturday, March 7, 2:00-4:00pm
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

CRC Streams Clean-up – POSTPONED
Saturday, April 4, 9:00-10:30am
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain or shine

Spring Bird Walk with Dave Eberly – CANCELED
Saturday, May 9, 8:00-10:00am
Meet at 3rd & Kirk Lane entrance
Rain or shine

Arts in the Park: Kossler Duo – POSTPONED TO JUNE 2021
Saturday, June 27, 5:00-6:30pm
Main entrance
Rain date Sunday, June 28

Arts in the Park: Paul Downie & Friends – POSTPONED TO 2021
Saturday, July 11, 5:00-6:30pm
Main entrance
Rain date Sunday, July 12

Arts in the Park: Danie Ocean – POSTPONED TO 2021
Saturday, August 22, 5:00-6:30pm
Main entrance
Rain date Sunday, August 23

Arts in the Park: Malidelphia – POSTPONED TO 2021
Saturday, September 12, 5:00-6:30pm
Main entrance
Rain date Sunday, September 13

National Public Lands Day – POSTPONED
Saturday, October 3, 9:00–12:00 noon
Location TBD
Rain date Sunday, October 4

Wicked Plants & Ghost Walk with Marcia Tate & Stephanie Gaboriault – POSTPONED TO 2021
Saturday, October 31, time tba — Glen Providence’s 85th Anniversary!
Location tba
Drizzle, snow, or shine

Green Friday Walk with Holly Hoffmann & Aura Lester
Friday, November 27, time tba
Meet at State Street entrance
Drizzle, snow, or shine

Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, December 19, 8:00-10:00am
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

And don’t forget the Great Media Easter Egg Hunt held by Media Lions & McCarrin Chiropractic – it’s the park’s longest-running event, held annually since 1954! This year’s date is Saturday, April 4 at 11:00am (sharp!), State Street entrance. – CANCELED

Join Friends of Glen Providence Park in our 8th year participating in the Christmas Bird Count, the world’s longest-running Citizen Science survey!  In this early-winter bird census, thousands of volunteers across the US, Canada, and many countries go out over a 24-hour period to count birds. Researchers and conservation biologists use the data to study the long-term health and status of bird populations.

119th Annual Christmas Bird Count

Saturday, December 15
8:00-10:00am
Rain, snow, or shine!* 
Park entrance at 3rd & West Streets

Slow down for a morning and take a break from the holiday rush!

Logistics

• Please note the location– we will meet at the 3rd & West Street park entrance
• *Rain, snow, or shine – but in the event of high winds, we will post on Facebook and our website that morning whether we will meet. 
• Be prepared for steep hills and rugged, possibly muddy and/or icy terrain
• Experienced and novice birdwatchers welcome!
• Of course, bring your binoculars and bird guides!

Friends of Glen Providence Park will submit our results to the CBC Compiler for Delaware County. We will also post the results on our website!

Join us for a bird walk in Glen Providence Park during spring migration! We’ll look for warblers and other migrants, and see if we can add to the 127 species on the Park Bird List. We will be led by Dave Eberly – a lifelong birder, for the past 27 years, he has participated in the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), the world’s longest-running Citizen Science project. For the past 10 years, he has taken on the important task of compiling all CBC data for Delaware County!

Spring Bird Walk

Saturday, May 5, 2018
8:00-10:00am
*Kirk Lane entrance
Rain or shine

Logistics:

• * Please note the location- we are starting at the Upper Providence entrance at Third Street and Kirk Lane. *
• Estimated distance: 1-1.5 miles
• Estimated time: 2 hours
• Rain or shine
• Free!
• Be prepared for steep hills, and uneven (possibly wet) terrain: wear your hiking shoes, bring a hiking pole if you use one… and of course binoculars and your favorite bird book or app!

As we post details for each month, we will link to that event with information and logistics.  All events are free, family-friendly, and open to the public – we hope to see you in the park!

Friends of Glen Providence Park
2018 Schedule of Events

Schedule subject to change – please check back to confirm times, details, and meeting locations.

The Forest in Winter with Mike Rolli
Saturday, January 20, 2:00-4:00pm
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain/snow date Sunday, January 21

Winter Naturalist Walk & Talk with Chris McNichol
Saturday, February 24, 10:00-12:00 noon
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

Geology Walk with Charles Randall
Saturday, March 17, 10:00-12:00 noon
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain/snow date Saturday, March 24

CRC Streams Clean-up
Saturday, April 21, 9:00-11:00am
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain or shine

Spring Bird Walk with Dave Eberly
Saturday, May 5, 8:00-10:00am
Meet at 3rd & Kirk Lane entrance
Rain or shine

Kids Stream Walk with Holly Hoffmann & Aura Lester
Saturday, June 16, 10:00-11:30am
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain or shine

Arts in the Park: June concert TBA

Arts in the Park: July concert TBA

Arts in the Park: August concert TBA

Arts in the Park: September concert TBA

National Public Lands Day
Saturday, October 6, 9:00–12:00 noon
Location TBD
Rain date Sunday, October 7

Falling for Fungi with Mike Rolli
Saturday, October 13, 10:00-12:00 noon
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain date Sunday, October 14

History & Nature Walk with Stephanie Gaboriault & Marcia Tate
Saturday, November 3, 2:00-4:00pm
Meet at State Street entrance
Rain date Sunday, November 4

Christmas Bird Count
Saturday, December 15, 8:00-10:00am
Meet at 3rd & West Street entrance
Rain, snow, or shine

And don’t forget the Great Media Easter Egg Hunt held by Media Lions & McCarrin Chiropractic – it’s the park’s longest-running event, held annually since 1954! This year’s date is Saturday, March 24 at 11:00am (sharp!), State Street entrance.

Join Friends of Glen Providence Park in our 7th year participating in the Christmas Bird Count, the world’s longest-running Citizen Science survey! The CBC was started on Christmas Day 1900 by the Audubon Society, in reaction to the tradition known as the Christmas “Side Hunt”: whoever brought in the biggest pile of feathered (and furred) quarry won. Instead of hunting birds, the CBC would count them!

118th Annual Christmas Bird Count

Saturday, December 16
8:00-10:00am
Rain, snow or shine!
* Park entrance at 3rd & West Streets *

In this early-winter bird census, thousands of volunteers across the US, Canada, and many countries in the Western Hemisphere go out over a 24-hour period to count birds. Researchers and conservation biologists use the data to study the long-term health and status of bird populations across North America.

Slow down for a morning and take a break from the holiday rush!

Logistics

• * Please note the location- we will meet at the 3rd & West Street park entrance *
• Rain, snow, or shine
• Be prepared for steep hills and rugged, possibly muddy terrain
• Experienced and novice birdwatchers welcome!
• Of course, bring your binoculars and bird guides!

Friends of Glen Providence Park will submit our results to the CBC Compiler for Delaware County. We will also post the results on our website!