Glastonbury Meadows Trip Report
September 28, 2024
12 birders met on a beautiful morning for a walk-through of Glastonbury Meadows. Habitat conditions were not ideal since the farmer opted to turn the fields earlier than usual, eliminating much of the weedy areas that are often quite productive for birds. (Many of the crops were ruined with the rainy summer weather.)
We started our walk in the adjacent Riverfront Park, which provided a nice patch of warblers, including Yellow, American Redstart, Magnolia, Common Yellowthroat and Northern Parula. A Merlin flew quickly over the treetops providing limited views. Two striking adult Bald Eagles were perched high in a treetop across the river near a Peregrine Falcon, while a pair of Common Ravens croaked above the trees. In the distance we noticed a white blob, which a few birders confirmed to be an Osprey with the aid of long telephoto lenses.
Upon entering the Meadows, we birded the pond area first, which produced a nice group of birds including a Black-and-white Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Blue-headed Vireo and several White-throated Sparrows. An alert birder heard a Rusty Blackbird, which we were able to see singing high in a tree.
From the pond, we birded the only weedy areas in the north end of the Meadows, which produced 3 Lincoln’s Sparrows, a Field Sparrow, several Palm Warblers and many Savannah, Song and Swamp Sparrows. An American Kestrel flew by and provided great views. A thick cover of tall weeds blocked our path to the marsh area, which would have offered us additional species.
We saw a total of 69 species, walked about 4 miles and enjoyed a beautiful morning!
