Fannie Stebbins Wildlife Refuge 75th Anniversary Finale Event

7:00 AM Bird Walk - Cold temperatures and bright, blue skies greeted the four hardy participants of the morning 75th Anniversary Bird Walk at Fannie Stebbins Wildlife Refuge.  Starting from the pollinator garden we slowly meandered our way west toward the Connecticut River along the perimeter of a farm field.  The usual species were observed, with Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow and Yellow-rumped Warbler being most abundant.  Approximately halfway across the back edge of the field a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was spotted sitting cooperatively in a tree, and a little further on a Black-and-white Warbler was seen scampering up and down branches.  The field yielded five sparrow species, and after checking the ponds we added six species of ducks. See below for the full list of 32 species.

1:00 PM Greeting and Information sharing - The Longmeadow Conservation Commission graciously agreed to our use of the newly renovated Riverfront Conservation Area on Anthony Rd, which gave everyone plenty of space to spread out. Tables were manned by Allen Bird Club, Friends of Fannie Stebbins, USFW, and the nearby Pioneer Valley Yacht Club.

2:00 PM Birds of Prey with Tom Ricardi - Tom regaled the crowd with his birds and his experiences leading into a dramatic release of a young Bald Eagle over the farm field. That bird circled the area and hung out for pictures near the road for the rest of the day. See photos below.

Afternoon Trail Walk - The second walk of the day was focused on the trails, plants, and refuge history. Bird sightings were incidental and not recorded.