Wilbraham Hotspot

Eight birders, with Bobby Olsen as leader, walked the various habitats found in the area known as Alton's Way.  Our three-mile walk took us down hedge rows, through open meadows, by white cedar swamps and groves of pine and hard wood.  Highlights were a White-crowned Sparrow, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers flying by us silently at eye level, two perched Broad-wing Hawks that took off on their northward flight giving their high-pitched call (we later saw another one circling overhead), and one of several Prairie Warblers that sat and belted out a song for several minutes nearly in front of us.  These sightings more than made up for not finding or hearing a Northern Waterthrush in its usual spot.  Total species count was 30.