Middle Creek in Motion - PA Game ...
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Middle Creek
in Motion
Keeping you updated through our seasons
WINTER 2020 - 2021
Photo Courtesy of Jacob Dingel
“I prefer winter and fall, when you can feel the bone recommendations related to the COVID-19 pandemic
structure in the landscape---the loneliness of it, the dead remain in place. If past visitation figures are any guide,
feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it; the whole certain days (sunny weekends) can attract thousands of
story doesn’t show.” visitors in a single day and cause traffic jams on Middle
Creek roads.
- Andrew Wyeth
Our goal this year is to provide visitors during the Middle
Winter is here. The birds that migrate south are gone,
Creek migration with a positive wildlife viewing
leaving the background music to our walks through
experience, opportunities to enhance their
woods and fields subdued. Winter arrivals like white-
understanding of wildlife conservation through multiple
throated sparrows and dark-eyed juncos can be
“COVID-friendly” education and outreach touchpoints,
observed hopping on the snow. Many animals, fat from
and to keep visitors and Game Commission employees
the fall forage, have retreated to burrows and dens. Red
safe. The Middle Creek Visitors Center remains
foxes, however, simply curl up on the snow with their
closed and will be closed during the migration.
tails over their noses. Other animals that remain active
PLEASE NOTE this means the Visitors Center
take advantage of food and shelter wherever they can
restrooms will also be closed. This closure applies
find it. At Middle Creek, the tour road is closed for the
to the Visitors Center only.
winter and the annual waterfowl hunts have
commenced, along with statewide seasons for white-
All other Middle Creek public access areas and trails are
tailed deer and other game species. The first green
open for public use and recreation and Game
shoots, often pushing through ice and snow still on the
Commission employees are preparing alternative
ground, signal the coming of thousands of snow geese
restrooms for the migration crowds. Please review the
and tundra swans stopping over at Middle Creek on their
information and resources below to help you prepare for
way north to Arctic breeding grounds. In this newsletter,
your visit to Middle Creek during the 2021 migration.
you will learn about how biologists estimate their
numbers, what the migration will look like this year with Before You Come
COVID-19 measures likely still in place and meet Al
Keith, Middle Creek’s MVP, who will be celebrating his
Check the latest COVID-19 information,
30th year with the Game Commission in April 2021.
guidance, and restrictions from the Pennsylvania
Department of Health accessible at
Planning to Visit Middle Creek During the https://www.pa.gov/.
2021 Migration? Here is What to Expect.
Check the Middle Creek Migration Update
webpage for the latest information resources.
Snow geese and tundra swans begin their migration
when the first new plant shoots emerge in Spring. At
Middle Creek, this can occur as early as late January but Observe recommended safety precautions,
typically sometime in February. The 2021 migration is which we anticipate will continue to include
expected to occur while public safety measures and wearing a mask and social distancing.
Review the Middle Creek 2021 Migration Anticipate that there may be traffic and long
Facilities Map, which notes where additional lines, particularly for the restrooms, if you visit
restrooms and other migration-specific facilities during a peak day (typically sunny weekends
will be located (Figure 1 below). from mid-morning to evening).
Consider visiting during the week or other lower If you have questions while you are visiting,
volume times. Historically, Middle Creek has o Call the Visitors Center at 717-733-1512
experienced the highest number of migration
visitors during sunny weekends from mid- o New sign kiosks have been installed at all
major parking lots at Middle Creek. These
morning to evening.
include emergency information, the Visitors
Center phone number, the nearest hospital
Plan your visit before you come. There are
contact information and address, and
several hikes at Middle Creek that will take you
descriptions of Middle Creek.
away from the main crowds but provide good
viewing of the lake. o Look for a Game Commission Game
Warden or other staff member
The Tour Road will also be open for
o Visit the Game Commission Middle Creek
WEEKENDS ONLY during peak migration to
website for virtual educational resources.
help smooth out and divert traffic. Review the
Middle Creek map and options before you come If you are a family with children, consider checking out
and plan your itinerary. an education backpack from the table outside the
Visitors Center (weekends only) for DIY wildlife games
If you prefer not to visit Middle Creek in person, and activities. Or, visit the Game Commission’s
consider watching the migration virtually with the nationally award-winning distance learning program
Middle Creek Snow Goose LIVE Webcam or Wildlife on WiFi for lessons and activities at
exploring Middle Creek’s Story Map. www.pgc.pa.gov/education/virtuallearning.
While You Are Visiting
Observe current COVID-19 guidance and
restrictions from the Pennsylvania Department
of Health.
Figure 1: Middle Creek 2021 Snow Goose Migration Map (Full Size Available Online)
How Do We Count All Those Geese?
To make the approximation, biologists start by counting
a small group of individual snow geese (let’s say 25).
On February 21, 2018, an estimated 200,000 snow
Once biologists know what 25 birds looks like, they can
geese settled on Middle Creek’s lake to rest before double the size of that group. Now, they know what 50
continuing their migration north to the Arctic. It was the snow geese looks like. Double that group again, and the
largest number of geese ever recorded at Middle Creek. count is at 100. This basic process is scaled up and
But how did we know there were 200,000 snow geese ---
repeated into the hundreds, thousands, and, if
and not 199,999? necessary, into the Hitchcockian tens and hundreds of
thousands!
Each year biologists count snow geese at Middle Creek
to update the Game Commission waterfowl migration Look at the picture below to help visualize the counting
page, which can be found here. The reported figures are process. How many snow geese can you count in this
approximations of birds on the lake. There are several
photo? Make sure not to count the tundra swans, the
ways biologists make these approximations and each
larger (also) white birds! Some swans are already
method takes practice. According to the US Fish and crossed out by a red ‘X’. Check out the answer beneath
Wildlife Service, observers tend to underestimate flock the picture.
sizes and usually, when the flock size is larger,
observers’ count is also more skewed. Want to explore other methods of counting waterfowl
and test your counting skills? Check out the U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service’s “Estimating Flock Size” guide
here.
Answer: around 500 birds
Faces of Middle Creek: 30 Years of Service with a Smile
“I heard on the radio that Middle Creek has a pair o’ green falcons. Where are they?”
“A pair of green falcons? I’m sorry, ma’am. There is no such thing as a green falcon.”
“I heard it on the radio. You have a pair o’ green falcons here!”
“You mean peregrine falcons?”
If you have enjoyed Middle Creek’s Visitors Center in the last three decades you have likely met Al Keith. For 30 years, spanning
multiple managers, Al has been Middle Creek’s constant --- and during that time he has heard it all! From locals stopping to chat
about the weather to visitors from the far side of the world taking a gander at the migration, everyone knows Al, including a lady
just dying to see a pair of green falcons!
While Al has lived with his wife in the community for years, he has roots in western Pennsylvania. The journey from Johnstown,
where his father worked for Bethlehem Steel, to Denver was not straight. It was a winding path with stops in Lautzenhausen,
Germany; Vandel, Denmark; and Omaha, Nebraska. Like many young people, he owes his early travels to military service. He
joined the United States Air Force in 1982 as an Aircraft Towing Tractor and De-icer Mechanic. Translated, Al was an integral part
of aircraft and support vehicle safety and maintenance teams.
His first stop was Hahn Air Base, an installation in Germany under command of the USAF until the 1990s and home to a portion of
the 50th Tactical Fighter Wing. Al served in Germany from 1982 to 1983 but took a few days off to see France, Austria, and
Switzerland. Next, Al was transferred to Offutt Air Force Base outside of Omaha, NE. At Offutt, he was trained as a flight line
firetruck mechanic and served an additional two years.
After exiting the air force and returning to Pennsylvania, Al worked as a mechanic at Wernersville State Hospital. This entry point
into state service was fortuitous; it opened the door to the job at Middle Creek (then under manager Ed Gosnell), where his
original duties included helping with maintenance during the winter. It also included a completely new set of responsibilities
manning the Visitors Center and leading early public education programs. After so much professional time under the hood, Al
invested energy in his star turn with characteristic gusto and brought in duck and goose nests for the programs. He also
videotaped himself and served as his own Siskel and Ebert, critiquing his performances to help improve his public delivery.
During his time at Middle Creek, Al has revolutionized the hunting customer service experience. What started with a typewriter
and index cards in 1992 has transformed into a sophisticated database and “customer” management system to support the
hundreds of users that apply for a hunting opportunity at Middle Creek each year.
Middle Creek attracts an estimated 120,000 visitors each year and 45,000 of these visitors pass through the doors of the Visitors
Center (in a normal year). With visitors from around the world coming to witness the Spring migration, Al has at times answered
hundreds of phones calls and questions in a single day. When he reaches 30 years of service in April, Al will likely have engaged
hundreds of thousands, if not over a million, visitors during his time at Middle Creek, likely making him one of the highest visibility
employees in the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s history.
Despite the sheer volume of public interactions, Al dedicates himself to a personal touch with each visitor. He particularly loves
watching children, some learning about wildlife for the first time, explore the Visitors Center. A girl once pointed at the deer mount
above his office and asked her mother, “How did it get stuck? Where’s the rest of it?” He still chuckles at the thought of having
the back end of a deer in his office and wonders if that little girl will be back in a few years asking about green falcons.
Located along the border of Lebanon and Lancaster
Faces of Middle Creek Cont… Picture above: Al Keith (left) in the early 2000s and Al Keith (right) in December 2020.
Middle Creek Community Photo Feature
Middle Creek is blessed with a diverse group of users and wildlife enthusiasts, including a thriving photography
community. Each newsletter, we feature photos from local photographers that capture the season and sense of place that
make Middle Creek a unique destination in the region. Interested in connecting with fellow wildlife photographers? Visit
the Middle Creek Photographers Facebook page and ask to join!
Photo Courtesy of Sally Copeland
Smile, You’re on Wildlife Candid (Trail) throughout the Controlled Area to capture wildlife as they
Camera! move to feeding and bedding areas. Each camera was
equipped with a sensor that triggered a photograph and
Guest written by Game Commission Environmental then stored on a memory card.
Education Intern Jordan Sanford
Each of the last four years, Middle Creek has
administered a controlled trapping opportunity within the
closed Controlled Area. The purpose of these efforts is
to limit predators that raid waterfowl nests and feed on
young waterfowl on the landscape. Despite the best
efforts of individual trappers, trapping success has not
met predator quotas set by Middle Creek managers. To
understand why the program has been unsuccessful,
Game Commission staff recently implemented a trail
camera study to see what species and quantity of
predator frequent
Middle Creek. The
results will help staff
answer whether the After the study concluded, the photographic data was
initial program has analyzed by Game Commission staff. About 35% of the
been unsuccessful wildlife observed on the cameras consisted of predators,
because there are including raccoons, opossums, coyotes, and even feral
fewer than expected cats. Interestingly, no foxes were captured on cameras.
number of predators in One hypothesis for this unusual non-occurrence is that
the controlled area or coyotes are outcompeting them in this landscape.
another reason such Additional studies will investigate how these results
as trapper effort or fluctuate seasonally or even year-to-year. While the
experience. initial study results do not completely explain why the
trappers have not been successful in the past, they do
The study was set-up by placing twelve cameras in the show that it is not due to a lack of predators on the
five Middle Creek trapping zones from June to August landscape. Prey animals significantly outnumber
2020. The habitat in the Controlled Area is a mixture of predators, but they are still abundant in the areas of
rotational agriculture, low-lying woodlots, and wetlands. Middle Creek observed in this study.
The Game Commission also manages the landscape to
include early successional habitat like native grasses,
wildflowers, and cool-season grasses because of its
value to dozens of wildlife species. The open landscape
provides important feeding and displaying areas (used
for mate attraction) while forested stands provide shelter
and bedding areas. Land management practices include
prescribed burns, mowing and herbicide treatments
throughout the Controlled Area. Trail cameras were
strategically placedNews and Notes
Remote Learning and Virtual Lesson Opportunities.
Wildlife on WiFi is the Pennsylvania Game Why Does the Tour Road Close in Winter?
Commission’s nationally award-winning remote and
virtual learning program. Wildlife on WiFi seeks to Each year, the Middle Creek Tour Road closes
connect Pennsylvania residents to their state’s wildlife for a period. There are many factors in this
from anywhere by providing innovative online learning decision, but the primary consideration is
opportunities, virtual lessons and educational resources wildlife’s needs. Starting mid-September,
about wildlife and its conservation. To access lessons, migrating waterfowl and duck species arrive and
visit www.pgc.pa.gov/education/virtuallearning or email leave at different times throughout the fall and
wildlifeonwifi@pa.gov to schedule a virtual lesson today! spring migrations. The propagation area, which
includes most of the north side of the lake and
extends past the fields to the tour road was
developed solely for the purpose of providing
Check Out Latest “From the Field” Episode on Saw- refuge for migrating and nesting birds. It
Whet Owls. provides an undisturbed area for feeding, resting,
and in the early springtime, nesting areas for
As part of the Wildlife on WiFi program, Game breeding Canada geese and ducks like the
Commission experts take you in the field on wildlife mallard and wood duck. Closing the tour road
surveys and studies, then answer your questions during during this time effectively extends the
a live program. The latest episode, featuring Saw-Whet undisturbed area further north to the controlled
Owls, aired December 22nd but you can watch the latest area.
and more by visiting
www.pgc.pa.gov/education/virtuallearning and scrolling Middle Creek’s controlled or permitted hunts in
down to mid-page. the Controlled Area are another factor in the
closure. Managers can control the amount of
disturbance in the area for hunting purposes that
only take place during the fall and winter.
Hunting days are limited and do not occur every
day or week. Hunter numbers are controlled as
only a limited amount of people are drawn for the
Middle Creek specific hunting opportunities.
Middle Creek was developed for the pursuit of
waterfowl hunting, specifically the Canada goose
(learn more about the history here).
Listen to Game Commission Podcast Call of the
Outdoors.
Featuring a host of guests ranging from Game
Commission experts to world famous celebrities (and
hunters), the Game Commission Podcast Call of the
Outdoors is a must listen for anyone interested in
Pennsylvania’s rich conservation heritage. To listen,
visit https://calloftheoutdoorspgc.com/.COVID-19 Update: Staying Safe on State Game Lands and at Middle Creek
The Middle Creek Visitors Center remains closed in response to the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19). This closure
applies to the Visitors Center only. All other Middle Creek public access areas and trails are open for public use and
recreation. While enjoying Middle Creek during this time, please observe all appropriate precautions. Game Commission
managers continue to monitor the situation and will communicate any changes on the Game Commission website (link
below), on Middle Creek property signs, and in this newsletter.
For more information, please visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s coronavirus-cancellations bulletin.
Have a question or comment about Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area? We would love to hear from you!
Please contact us at middlecreek@pa.govYou can also read
