Trip Highlights

The 20 participants were ready to go and the trip started off well at the spillway with a ravenous Raven (juvenile) being fed by an adult.  Also there was a pair of perched Rough-winged Swallows at eye level.  We soon saw the first of many Towhees, a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Indigo Buntings and Ovenbird.  A cooperative Swainson's Thrush approached our large group within 30 feet as we walked down to the water.  It repeated its approach on our return, making us wonder who was studying whom.  Heard but not seen were Black-billed and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Least Flycatcher, Prairie Warbler and Wood Thrushes.  It ended up being a five hour walk, but nobody seemed like quitting until our tally was 53 species and our batteries ran out.  Thanks to Tim, Jan, Donna, Howard & Pete for all their help.

Eleven birders, including leaders, enjoyed our visit to this wetland area.  As soon as we exited our vehicles, we were hearing the first of many Blue-winged Warblers.  During the walk to the second entrance gate, birds seemed to be teed up everywhere - Field Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Baltimore Orioles, Catbirds, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers belted out their songs.  Perhaps the best sighting here, though, was a resting Common Nighthawk.  It perched on a nearby sycamore limb completely oblivious to the onlookers.  As we walked the trail down to the water and the loop by the marshes, everyone became very familiar with the sight and song of the Ovenbird, Woodthrush, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak.  Several warblers - Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat, Redstarts, and Yellow - added brief bits of color to our walk.  Some in the group were able to hear the calls of a distant Black-billed Cuckoo and see a first of year/life Swainson's Thrush.  We ended our morning with a count of 48 species.

The walk was a huge success for nine participants who saw 29 species, including the target birds, Worm-eating and Cerulean Warblers!  One Cerulean was very vocal with a textbook perfect song; the other rather abbreviated and laid back. We missed seeing the female Cerulean by minutes.  Other highlights were at least three Scarlet Tanagers, some Baltimore Orioles and Indigo Buntings.  A male Black-throated Blue Warbler also showed up for all the cameras that we birders had brought along to record what were life birds for quite a few.  The wind was strong as we ascended the road, but nothing like the blasts that pelted us on the porch of Skinner House, reminding one of Mt. Washington.  The descent was a happy and snappy walk after seeing such fine birds.

There were 14 teams and 28 observers out in the field the first evening and all the next day.  Together they recorded 137 species, an astounding number in this limited area, but average over the last ten years, and three fewer than the total in 2015.  As is typical, most common species were near their recent or long-term average, but some were noticeably high or low.  There were especially high counts of Great Blue Heron, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, House Wren, Mockingbird, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue and Black-throated Green Warblers, and Cowbird.  Species found in notably low numbers were Wood Duck, Killdeer, Woodcock, Ring-billed Gull, Nighthawk, Chimney Swift, Willow Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Tree and Barn Swallow, Carolina Wren, Veery, Blackburnian, Yellow-rumped and Canada Warblers.  Some easy reasons for the unusual totals are the cold early May weather delaying or holding up migration, high survival rates from a mostly mild, snow-free winter, and continued long term or recent increases or declines.  There were 32 species on the uncommon or rare list (over last 46 years), notably Black Vulture (only 2015 and 2016), Hooded Warbler (5 times, last in 2007), Hooded Merganser (6 years), White-crowned Sparrow (20 years), Sapsucker (22 years), Horned Lark (24 years - first since 2010), and Raven (24 years, first in 1992).   Thanks to all who spent many hours in the field, especially Steve Svec, whose 21 hours gave us most of our owl records.  May next year give you all more time, more habitat, and more fun sightings.

Click below to view or download complete count results.

2016 May Count Results

The stones were silent, but the trees and grounds were full of song and flight as nine participants enjoyed wonderful views of Flicker, Hummingbird, Kingbird, Barn Swallow, Mockingbird, Redstart, Baltimore Oriole and more.  We counted a total of 28 species by the time our walk came to an end.