19 optimistic Hartford Audubon members met at Reservoir #3 in Bloomfield about 8am.  I say optimistic because the weather forecast was threatening rain, but then early Saturday, the forecast moved the rain back to about 10am – so we hoped it would hold off.  Reservoir #3 has about a ¾ mile long road out through a field which has had nesting Bobolinks the past several years.  We were not disappointed.  Everyone got really good looks at Bobolinks, both male and female, perched and flying.  We also saw 33 other species of birds including a couple of nesting Great Blue Herons and surprisingly, and Orchard Oriole was heard.  Some of us also had a good look near the end of the walk at a Willow Flycatcher which we’d been hearing.  As promised, the first drops of rain started to fall at 10am!  Here’s a list of the birds we saw.
6 Mallard
3 Mourning Dove
1 Green Heron
3 Blue Heron
3 Red-tailed Hawk
1 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee
2 Willow Flycatcher
1 Great Crested Flycatcher
1 Eastern Kingbird
3 Warbling Vireo
1 Red-eyed Vireo
1 Blue Jay
8 Tree Swallow
1 White-breasted Nuthatch
8 European Starling
6 Gray Catbird
3 Eastern Bluebird
3 Veery
2 Wood Thrush
6 American Robin
5 Cedar Waxwing
6 American Goldfinch
6 Song Sparrow
1 Field Sparrow
1 Eastern Towhee
1 Baltimore Oriole
12 Red-winged Blackbird
1 Brown-headed Cowbird
2 Common Yellowthroat
4 Yellow Warbler
1 Northern Cardinal
1 Indigo Bunting
10 Bobolink
1 Orchard Oriole
35 Species total
         Chris Fisher & Jim Watso – Leaders.