Education at Work:
Bird Studies at Kocher Park
Graduate students at Bloomsburg University, Erin Kibelstis and Joe Elias, spent many hours this summer and fall studying songbirds at a number of sites in Columbia County, including Kocher Park. They are students of Dr. Clay Corbin at BU. They will return in March 2023 to continue their studies. They welcome anyone to stop by and learn about their studies and maybe get a chance to hold and release a small bird. They arrive very early in the morning and stay until about 10-11 am. Call the CCCD in the spring to get the dates when they will be at Kocher Park. Below is a description of each of their studies and some photos from the site.
Bird Studies at Kocher Park
Graduate students at Bloomsburg University, Erin Kibelstis and Joe Elias, spent many hours this summer and fall studying songbirds at a number of sites in Columbia County, including Kocher Park. They are students of Dr. Clay Corbin at BU. They will return in March 2023 to continue their studies. They welcome anyone to stop by and learn about their studies and maybe get a chance to hold and release a small bird. They arrive very early in the morning and stay until about 10-11 am. Call the CCCD in the spring to get the dates when they will be at Kocher Park. Below is a description of each of their studies and some photos from the site.
Erin Kibelstis with a Cedar Waxwing
Erin Kibelstis
I will be studying the morphology of songbird uropygial glands and the relationships between the gland and preen oil that it secretes with several other factors. These factors include how much preen oil is secreted with gland stimulation, whether feather mite load and feather color intensity are determined by oil secretion amount, and if uropygial gland size determines preen oil microbiota presence and abundance. Feather mite abundance is determined in the field by counting the individual mites present on a wing. I will be culturing preen oil that is collected to see if microbiota is present. I will also be analyzing feathers using a spectrometer to see if there is any difference between feather color intensity from birds with large and small amounts of oil secretion.
I will be studying the morphology of songbird uropygial glands and the relationships between the gland and preen oil that it secretes with several other factors. These factors include how much preen oil is secreted with gland stimulation, whether feather mite load and feather color intensity are determined by oil secretion amount, and if uropygial gland size determines preen oil microbiota presence and abundance. Feather mite abundance is determined in the field by counting the individual mites present on a wing. I will be culturing preen oil that is collected to see if microbiota is present. I will also be analyzing feathers using a spectrometer to see if there is any difference between feather color intensity from birds with large and small amounts of oil secretion.
Joe Elias with a White Breasted Nuthatch
Joe Elias
The accumulation of microplastics (MPs), small <5mm human derived plastic particles, is an increasing problem in all ecosystems with potential negative health implications. While MP exposure in avian communities is well studied in marine birds, there is very little research on landbirds like cardinals, thrushes, warblers, and others who primarily feed in terrestrial habitats. The extent of MP exposure in landbirds is unknown, as well as the life history factors that may influence ingestion. My thesis research aims to study MP ingestion in landbird communities by investigating their immediate diet via bird banding and collecting their feces in sites like Kocher Park.
Joe Elias
The accumulation of microplastics (MPs), small <5mm human derived plastic particles, is an increasing problem in all ecosystems with potential negative health implications. While MP exposure in avian communities is well studied in marine birds, there is very little research on landbirds like cardinals, thrushes, warblers, and others who primarily feed in terrestrial habitats. The extent of MP exposure in landbirds is unknown, as well as the life history factors that may influence ingestion. My thesis research aims to study MP ingestion in landbird communities by investigating their immediate diet via bird banding and collecting their feces in sites like Kocher Park.
Kocher Park - JOHNSON FLATS: a creekside nature experience
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Frank W. Kocher Memorial Park is located on Fishing Creek off of Rte. 487 North, near Lightstreet, PA (1519 State Route 487, Orangeville, PA 17859).
Be sure to also check out the Johnson Flats section of the park, located about .5mi north of the main park on Rt. 487!
Free and open to the public.
Please help us keep the Park clean by picking up after yourself and your dog.
Become a Friend of Kocher Park!
Donations enable us to maintain the Park. Please consider becoming a Friend to help keep Kocher Park beautiful! All donations are tax-deductible.
Click here for the Friends of Kocher Park brochure
GO ON A FUN NATURE SCAVENGER HUNT
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volunteer events
Head on over to the front page for upcoming park event and cleanup info!
Special thank you to Bloomsburg University swim team and other volunteers who helped make our 2016 Spring Clean up a success!! The new property and trails look awesome! Thank you again to Dunkin' Donuts for providing refreshments to our hardworking crew. |
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educational materials for the park
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Intro to Insects Backpack Click here for more information on our backpacks and how to borrow them. |
BLOOMSBURG UNIVERSITY FISHING CREEK WATER QUALITY MONITORING STATION
Click here to access real-time water quality data for Fishing Creek collected at Kocher Park.
Thank you to Dr. Steve Rier, PhD, Bloomsburg University, for his hard work and coordination efforts to acquire funding, install and maintain the monitoring station, and collect the water quality data.
Thank you to Dr. Steve Rier, PhD, Bloomsburg University, for his hard work and coordination efforts to acquire funding, install and maintain the monitoring station, and collect the water quality data.