Spring Birding

A couple of days in the spring sunshine, looking for birds in Thickson Woods and on the Carden Alvar with Andy H.  

I do love spotting bluebirds, bobolinks and redstarts. And tree swallows. And warblers. And. And.

Rob and I so appreciate being able to tag along with someone who has the eyes and ears of an experienced birder! Andy knows which trees and thickets are habitats for likely species, and is quick to spot differences between warblers.

redstart

Bobolink

We listened to the Warblers podcast coming and going, adding to our general knowledge.

The Merlyn app is great for knowing what birds may be calling in the area, and I'm getting a little bit better with the binoculars. At some locations in the Alvar, more than twenty species were calling!

The Trilliums and Prairie Smoke alone were at their prime. I resisted the temptation to bring some home.

Thickson Woods

Yellow-bellied Sap Sucker 
Woodthrush

Cardinal
Redwing blackbird
Palm warbler
Redstart
White-crowned sparrow
Grey cheeked sparrow
Chicadee
Black and white warbler
Yellow rumped warbler
Black Throated Blue Warbler
Oriole

Carden Alvar

Tree Swallow 

Robin

Red wing blackbird

Kingbird

Warbling Vireo

Oriole

Bobolink

Meadowlark

Brown thrasher

Phoebe

Sparrow or eastern flycatcher

Red-breasted grosbeak (Robin with singing lessons) 

Turkey vulture

Killdeer

Eastern bluebird

Trumpeter

Yellow Warbler

(Andy) pilleated + hummingbird 

Heard: red-eyed vireo, sora, ovenbird, bitterns and more!

Prospect Marsh

Blue heron

Osprey

Green heron

Marsh Wren