Stebbins Refuge Morning Walk

It was a perfect spring day to start the first of the Allen Bird Club's series of Wednesday morning walks.  Bird song filled the air.  Before reaching the T on the Bark Haul Trail, we had spotted Yellow-rumped Warblers and seen and heard several Ruby-crowned Kinglets, many with their ruby crowns showing.  A highlight along the trail was finding a trio of Palm Warblers on the ground - like little yellow jewels sparkling in the fresh green grass.  Mallards, Wood Ducks, and a Green-winged Teal were found in the beaver ponds along the way where a single Chimney Swift and a Belted Kingfisher flew over us.  On the Natti Trail we found a Hermit Thrush and heard towhees call back and forth to each other.  White-throated Sparrows sang and scratched about in the undergrowth nearby.  Near the brook, two more migrants, Blue-headed Vireo and Black-and-white Warbler, made an appearance.  A House Wren chattered off the trail as did Blue-gray Gnatcatchers.  Other highlights were two Rusty Blackbirds near the railroad tracks, still lingering here before heading further north, and just below them on the ground was another new arrival - a Northern Waterthrush.  As we neared the parking area on our return, the sweet song of a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, another new arrival, ended our walk on a bright note.  There were 12 participants and a total of 42 species.