Date: Saturday, October 14, 2023
Location: Union Pond Park, 116 North School Street, Manchester, CT, 06040
Attendees: 8, plus trip leader
Weather: Overcast, raw, ~54°F
Species seen:
American crow
American robin
Belted kingfisher
Black-capped chickadee
Blue jay
Brown creeper
Canada geese
Carolina wren
Cedar waxwing
Common grackle
Downy woodpecker
Eastern phoebe
European starling
Gray catbird
Great blue heron
Common merganser
Mallard
Mourning dove
Northern flicker
Northern mockingbird
Red-bellied woodpecker
Red-shouldered hawk
Ruby-crowned kinglet
Savannah sparrow
Song sparrow
White-breasted nuthatch
Yellow-bellied sapsucker
Overview: We birded along the eastern side of Union Pond for approximately an hour and 45 minutes. (Serendipitously, today was Merlin’s October Big Day!). At first, we weren’t seeing nor hearing much, but soon enough we heard a few mixed choruses and spotted some fabulous species. Highlights included some rather moody kingfishers, an elusive brown creeper, a decade of common mergansers, and a great blue heron. The visit ended with some birding in the parking lot, where we identified a Savannah sparrow, a yellow-bellied sapsucker, and an Eastern phoebe. All in all, a great way to start the weekend.
eBird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S152182921
