Stebbins Refuge Morning Walk

On September 2, the Allen Bird Club began its fall series of Wednesday morning walks, a weekly field trip that invites participants to observe the small changes which herald not only the progression of seasons, but also the ever-changing movements of fall migration. A team of five members facilitated this walk, with two more joining the group toward the end.

The trip's weather ranged from 67 to 72 degrees on a calm, cloudy day immediately following a day of steady rainfall. Mosquitoes were vengeful.  Cornell's BirdCast estimated some 45,000 birds migrated over Hampden County on the previous evening, yet the refuge remained fairly quiet.

Still, signs of fall abounded. Katydids changed the preserve's "dawn chorus" to a melody matching the second day of meteorological fall. Wood Ducks, apparent in multitudes, wore a gambit of plumage ranging from female to spotty juvenile to molting male. Multiple Green Herons seemed to pose for close looks and, while raptors were scarce, one club member spotted a Peregrine Falcon perched along the Connecticut River as participants identified sandpipers, plovers, and egrets on the sandbar.

Click below to view complete species list.