Stebbins Refuge Morning Walk

The first fall walk at Stebbins Refuge was attended by 8 participants and we tallied 32 species.  It was warm at 7:30 a.m. and got more humid by the time we left at 11 a.m.  It was a slow meander and quiet for the most part.

We had no warblers - a Warbling Vireo and a pair of Phoebes were present and we tallied 5 Green Herons (they were almost as ubiquitous as the calling Catbirds).  The ponds held many Wood Ducks, Mallards, Swans, Great Egrets (2), Rough-winged Swallows, and DC Cormorants.  We were treated to a Cooper's Hawk being dive-bombed by a Sharp-shinned Hawk.  We could observe well the overall size, head and body pattern differences between the two hawks.  It was a pleasant, if slow, start to fall migration and a chance to see the changes happening at the Refuge.