Author: Mona Cavallero (Page 6 of 17)

On Saturday, June 1st thirteen bird watchers gathered at Station 43 in South Windsor for a three-hour walk featuring wetland bird species. The weather turned out to be picture-perfect with clear skies, sun and very light winds. The mosquitos along Newberry Road were also sympathetic to the cause allowing most people a pain-free visit.

After a brief greeting and introduction, the group headed off slowly down Newberry Road, birding and botanizing along the way. Slow, and very quiet would be the best way to describe how this bird walk began. But the activity soon picked up with the sights and sounds of multiple Yellow Warblers. Joining the Yellows was a vocal tree-top Magnolia Warbler as well as an American Redstart. Seven Cedar Waxwings perched high in a dead tree garnered birder’s attention as did the activity of nesting Gray Catbirds.

The search for wetland bird species began with our arrival to the Station 43 Sanctuary itself. Here we spotted Green Herons, Swamp Sparrows, a pair of Belted Kingfishers and a number of Wood Duck. Marsh Wrens were heard singing in the distant reeds. The ubiquitous Red-winged Blackbird was seen throughout, with a striking all-black body and orange-red and yellow shoulder patch.

The most surprising sighting of the day was that of a fly-over Great Egret!

Our search for the elusive Least Bittern took a surprisingly long time, but patience and perseverance finally had its reward with sightings of two birds chasing each other over the marsh. Kudos to the group for keeping a positive attitude during the bittern vigil!

After the exciting Least Bittern sighting, birdwatchers collectively decided to head over to nearby Vibert Road for some additional birding. Here we added Orchard Oriole, Wild Turkey and Killdeer. A brief walk into the woodlands along the Connecticut River produced Warbling and Red-eyed Vireos, Wood Thrush and Hairy Woodpecker. Heard calling across the river were Great Crested Flycatcher and Pileated Woodpecker.

We ended our trip at the Vibert Road boat launch. From the river bank, birders enjoyed close up comparisons of both Bank and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. A pair of Common Merganser startled us as they floundered away from the shore, and then floated gently downriver. The late addition of Bald Eagle and Osprey was the finishing touch to a glorious day of birding.

Our trip tallied a total of 61 bird species.

Respectively submitted,

Paul Cianfaglione, trip leader

Results of yesterday’s walk in Barkhamsted. Thanks to Gina for co-leading and to Doug, Paul, Nick, and Dave for joining us.
Catherine Delasco

Lower Greenwoods Rec. Area – Barkhamsted
May 7, 2024
10:20 AM
Traveling
0.75 miles
125 Minutes
All birds reported? Yes
Comments: Submitted from eBird for iOS, version 2.20.4 Build 2.20.28

1 Mourning Dove
1 Ruby-throated Hummingbird
1 Green Heron
3 Turkey Vulture
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker
1 Least Flycatcher — Heard singing nearby
1 Eastern Kingbird
1 Yellow-throated Vireo — Heard singing nearby
1 Warbling Vireo
1 Blue Jay
1 Black-capped Chickadee
1 Tufted Titmouse
1 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
1 Carolina Wren
3 Gray Catbird
1 Wood Thrush — Heard singing nearby
4 American Robin
2 American Goldfinch
1 White-throated Sparrow
1 Song Sparrow
4 Baltimore Oriole
3 Red-winged Blackbird
3 Blue-winged Warbler
4 Common Yellowthroat
5 American Redstart
4 Yellow Warbler
3 Chestnut-sided Warbler
3 Yellow-rumped Warbler
1 Scarlet Tanager
2 Northern Cardinal
3 Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Number of Taxa: 31

By Abby Wolcott

On this overcast morning 8 local birders took a break from their work or household chores and headed to Lewis Farm to look for birds.

The birds would not be silenced and sang as we headed down the trail.  Fortunately, two members of the group had clearly spent hours listening to tapes of bird calls and were able to help us ID what we heard from the treetops.

By the time we crossed the Billy Goat Gruff bridge, the birds became more of a reality and one lone yellow warbler sat on a branch long enough for all of us to get a good look.  We heard northern parulas, black –throated blue warblers, black and white warblers and a tanager in the distance.

But we continued on hoping to come face to face with more of the birds that serenaded us.  A black and white warbler  scrambled up and down a tree truck for all to admire.  Several oven birds and wood thrushes called from  the forest floor but were reticent.

We all admired the burst of green as spring has come to life and the wildflowers adorned the trail as we headed on. Of course, we had a chance to learn more about our fellow birders swapping stories of sightings we had shared, places we had visited, as well as life lessons we had learned as we meandered back over the bridge.

An elusive silhouette of a warbler appeared and flitted in the canopy, all eyes on him.  After much deliberation, and research in the field on various apps, we were able to confirm the black- throated green warbler thanks to his tell-tale yellow markings on his head.

We headed up the hill and the oven bird called again asking us to come back and stroll this lovely property soon as one never knows what other birds would be unveiled.

On Sunday, April 28^th nine hardy birders joined trip leader, Jay Kaplan, in the Roaring Brook Nature Center parking lot at 6:30 am for a two plus hour jaunt along the trails of Werner’s Woods, a State of Connecticut property for which the Nature Center serves as steward.

The weather forecast was all over the map, with some models predicting cloudy conditions, while others called for intermittent showers.  Happily, the showers never materialized and, after checking the wooded areas adjacent to the Nature Center, where we heard birds like yellow-bellied sapsucker, house wren, and Louisiana waterthrush, we headed off into the woods.

Although the leaves are not yet out in late April, neither are the trees’ flowers, and thus, there is not as much to eat in the trees as there will be in a few weeks, when the flowers of oaks and other trees open up and begin to attract insects.  Nevertheless, our group stopped on several occasions to observe flocks of yellow-rumped warblers, and to listen to the first black-and-white and black-throated green warblers of the season.

Perhaps the highlight of the trip for many of us was the sound that baby barred owls make when they are begging for food from the parent. And, sure enough, a sharp-eye observer located an adult owl about 70 yards out in the trees.  After admiring the owl for a minute, we quietly moved away from the area so that the owl family could go about its business.

We continued to find yellow-rumped warblers, and who knows, there may have been other species with them. Alas, the visibility was poor and birds in the treetops showed little in the way of field marks.  A Cooper’s hawk, flapping and gliding above the trees, was the only diurnal raptor to make an appearance on this gray morning.

Approaching the pond, we observed a pair of wood ducks in flight, and a mallard soon alighted on the pond.  On a walk the previous day, there had been a more unusual American black duck in that same location.   Perhaps the rarest bird of the walk was a European starling seen in front of the Nature Center building upon our return to the parking lot.  We rarely see starlings here, something for which we are quite thankful.  It was now getting close to 9:00 am and time to think about breakfast and the rest of the day.

Our species count was 36, not bad for April.  A week from now, there will be many more species arriving as spring migration builds to its peak in mid-May!

Respectfully submitted,

Jay Kaplan, Trip Leader