Weather was great, at least no rain, no wind, and not
particularly cold. Thirteen people came out to walk the Whitman Spring
Road Trail. The entry road has a few potholes but the trail is in
wonderful shape, and very quiet with zero road noise, just the singing
birds. We had good birds but never quite enough of them. We really think
there are fewer individual birds than in times past.
While we did not hear a Wood Thrush. We did hear a number of Veerys and
saw two. We also saw Hermit Thrush twice but did not hear their full
song. Ovenbirds were also common as were Red-eyed Vireos (which the
Merlin smartphone app kept calling Philadelphia Vireos, we never saw or
really suspected a Philadelphia). We had 35 species.
Before the walk at the marsh on the corner of Summer St. and Hotel (West
Auburn) Road a few people stopped and Gordon heard Marsh Wrens and a
Sora. After the walk we had Cedar Waxwings there.
Birds seen and heard (H) were:
Canada Goose – 38 across the lake
Mourning Dove (H)
Common Look 2 on the lake
Double-crested Cormorant – 6+
Turkey Vulture – 1
Belted Kingfisher (H) once at start of walk
Red-bellied Woodpecker (H) I think Joan was only one to hear it
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker – 2, one seen very well
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Great Crested Flycatcher (H)
Eastern Kingbird (H)
Eastern Wood-Pewee (H) heard often but never seen well
Red-eyed Vireo (H) also never seen well but heard along entire trail
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow – Gordon had over the lake
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse (H)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown Creeper – heard a few times but Stan may have been the only person
to see it
Veery – 4, 2 seen well
Hermit Thrush – 3, 2 seen well
American Robin
American Goldfinch
Song Sparrow
Ovenbird (H) – 6+
Louisiana Waterthrush (H) at least two, heard well
Black-and-white Warbler – 4
Common Yellowthroat – 3 heard not sure if seen?
American Redstart – 5+
Magnolia Warbler (H) but could not find … unless it was a
Chestnut-sided we heard?
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Pine Warbler – seen well 3 times
Scarlet Tanager (H) – called but could not find and stopped calling
—
Stan DeOrsey