Trip Highlights

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.

Under drizzling skies, four birders joined Al and Lois Richardson for the first in the scheduled Wednesday walks.  As worse weather threatened, two people left and the remaining intrepid birders walked to the T along the Bark Haul Trail.  The skies opened and we returned to the parking area.  This proved to be a passing shower and so we birded the meadow and found a newly returned Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Brown Thrasher, and several singing Yellow Warblers.  Unfortunately, Pondside was devoid of any returning waders.  A fly over Osprey, Double-crested Cormorant, and Great Blue Heron helped bring the trip list to a total of 29 species.

It was cloudy and cool for the walk in Longmeadow with seven companions.  Best bird was a male Blue-winged Teal in the back marsh that Lois spotted after seeing it on previous days.  Also good were 3 Rusty Blackbirds close and calling, 2 House Wrens singing, 3 Carolina Wrens, 10 Gnatcatchers, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 2 singing Bluebirds, 6 Palm Warblers, and 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers.  The species total was 34.

The woodcock event attracted just five participants, but those that braved the evening air got looks at 7 displaying male woodcock.

The usual crowded breakfast table had only five members, but the food was great.  A very cold, blustery wind must have been the reason for low participation and species count. The river was filled with only the expected ducks.  We stopped at Riverview and had a few close Ring-necked Ducks and Buffleheads greet us.  It was too hard to focus on the distant flocks, so we drove to the cove.  They were closer, but now the wind was in our faces.  A few Greater Scaup were mingled in with a big flock of a hundred or more Ring-necked Ducks.