Friday Bird Walk at Patterson Park

I was hoping the rain would stop as I was driving south on I-95 to lead the bird walk. Even better than that, as the rain diminished a double rainbow appeared!

The first bird spotted was a FOS Yellow-bellied Sapsucker.  We saw quite a few, and several Eastern Phoebes also flitted around the park.  A FOS Junco was also briefly seen in the community garden.  Enjoy photos from the walk, and be sure to join us in November.

Can you find the sapsucker?

We spotted quite a few birds in or near the community garden - junco, ruby-crowned kinglet, song sparrow, palm warbler,  towhee, mockingbird, and phoebe.


 

Adult Black-crowned Night Heron at the Boat Lake.  A juvenile wasn't too far away.

Along the boardwalk.  No red-winged blackbirds were found.

 

 

The wetland garden.  We didn't visit the pollinator garden - apparently it had recently been mowed down in error.  At least this area is still available to our late pollinators (like Monarchs!).

  

Bird list:

 

120 Mallard

2 Black-crowned Night Heron

1 Osprey

1 Cooper's Hawk

18 Ring-billed Gull

6 Mourning Dove

5 Chimney Swift

1 Downy Woodpecker

5 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

6 Northern Flicker

8 Eastern Phoebe

6 Blue Jay

1 Carolina Wren

1 Tufted Titmouse

3 Ruby-crowned Kinglet

5 American Robin

1 Gray Catbird

1 Northern Mockingbird

3 European Starling

2 Cedar Waxwing

1 Common Yellowthroat

1 Palm Warbler

2 Field Sparrow

1 Dark-eyed Junco

1 Song Sparrow

1 Swamp Sparrow

2 Eastern Towhee

4 House Finch

4 American Goldfinch

 

Swan Harbor Farm (Harford County) Bird Walk

Eight of us had a great time birding Swan Harbor this morning. A lot of walking AND A TON OF PALM WARBLERS. Not much in or around the marsh--so dry. The new impoundments were nice with sparrows, including several Savannah and one Lincoln's. And the loop trail in the woods was productive in a couple of spots.  Got a winter wren late in the day. Only two shorebirds. The thing we will remember is all the palm warblers--many of both types--and many others we didn't ID b/c so many. 

Some birds:

--Sharpie (2)

--Cooper's (1)

--both yellowlegs, one each

--winter wren (1)

--Yellow Palm (20+), Western (10+), not ID'd (10)

--Magnolia Warbler  (1)

--Parula (2)

---Redstart (2)

--Ovenbird (2)

--Savannah Sparrow (4)

--Lincoln's Sparrow (1)

--Swamp Sp. (3)

Tim Houghton

(Glen Arm)

 

Soldier's Delight Bird Walk

Nine of us had an enjoyable time walking in the cool weather and very light rain--light, that is, until the last half mile, when we got thoroughly drenched. 

We managed a few nice birds, including 6 warbler species. The migrant influx from two nights ago seems to have been modest overall. 

Some birds:

--Cooper's Hawk (1)

--Hummingbird (2)

--Pileated (1)

--Kingbird (5)

--Tennessee Warbler (1)

--Cape May (1, first fall female)

--Western Palm Warbler (1)

--Prairie Warbler (3)

--Scarlet Tanager (2)

Tim Houghton

(Glen Arm)

9/12/15

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Friday Bird Walk at Patterson Park

I missed being greeted by the Chimney Swifts this morning - they didn't show up at all.  One lone Purple Martin did zip by.  Enjoy photos from walk - join us Oct. 9th - last year the park was packed with birds!

Black-crowned Night Heron juvenile

Black-crowned Night Heron
 

Boat Lake

The Muscovy hybrid ducklings have grown up!

Great Blue Heron

Asters in the pollinator garden

The pollinator garden

In the wetland garden.  We weren't sure what it was but it attracted lots of pollinators.  Erin?

Bird list:

Mallard  60
Great Blue Heron  1
Black-crowned Night-Heron  2
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Mourning Dove  3
Ruby-throated Hummingbird  1
Downy Woodpecker  1
Northern Flicker  2
Eastern Wood-Pewee  2
Alder/Willow Flycatcher (Traill's Flycatcher)  1
American Crow  2
Purple Martin  1
House Wren  1
Carolina Wren  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
Gray Catbird  2
Northern Mockingbird  1
European Starling  12
Black-and-white Warbler  1
Northern Cardinal  4
Common Grackle  2
House Finch  1
American Goldfinch  1

Ruth Bergstrom

Friday Bird Walk at Patterson Park

Enjoy photos from our bird walk at Patterson Park on Friday, August 14th.  Best birds were three Kestrels!  I was too busy admiring their aerobatics to take pictures unfortunately.

If you've never joined us before - we meet at the fountain at the northwest corner of the park.
 

Susie Creamer (carrying the binocular bag), is the Director of Urban Education and Conservation
 at Patterson Park Audubon

The city gardens had tomatoes and peppers,  plus Mockingbirds, Carolina Wrens, and Robins.

This young Red Maple thought it was fall.  Not so fast!

A line-up of our friendly group of birders.

Not native, but you have to admit they are awfully cute - Muscovy X ducklings.

At Boat Lake looking at the Green Heron.

Green Heron - he stayed in that pose for a long time.  We never did see him catch anything.

A gorgeous  Black and Yellow Garden Spider - Argiope aurantia.
 

Marsh Hibiscus along the boardwalk.

The wetland garden.

Elderberry in the wetland garden.

The cannons are back!

The Mockingbirds were taking full advantage of their return.

Bird list:

Mallard  65
Green Heron  1
Osprey  1
Ring-billed Gull  2
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon)  2
Mourning Dove  3
Chimney Swift  18
Belted Kingfisher  2
Northern Flicker  1
American Kestrel  3
Eastern Kingbird  1
Carolina Wren  2
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher  1
American Robin  15
Gray Catbird  1
Northern Mockingbird  12
European Starling  25
Northern Cardinal  2
Red-winged Blackbird  1
Common Grackle  3
Brown-headed Cowbird  3
House Finch  8
House Sparrow  3


Thanks everyone for coming out.   See you in September!

Kayaking at Lake Roland

Bird List
2 Canada Goose
2 Wood Duck
1 Double-crested Cormorant
3 Great Blue Heron
1 Green Heron
2 Killdeer
2 Spotted Sandpiper
1 Semipalmated Sandpiper
8 Mourning Dove
8 Chimney Swift

3 Ruby-throated Hummingbird

1 Belted Kingfisher
2 Red-bellied Woodpecker -- Heard
2 Downy Woodpecker
1 Hairy Woodpecker -- Heard
1 Pileated Woodpecker -- Heard
1 Eastern Wood-Pewee -- Heard
1 Acadian Flycatcher -- Heard
3 Eastern Kingbird
4 Blue Jay
2 American Crow
15 Barn Swallow
X Carolina Chickadee
X Tufted Titmouse
3 Carolina Wren -- Heard
4 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
3 American Robin
4 Gray Catbird
X Northern Cardinal
3 Common Grackle
1 Baltimore Oriole
5 American Goldfinch

Hugh Simmons

Kayaking at Dundee Creek

Master Naturalist Anita Tyler led us through one of her favorite paddling sites at Dundee Creek.  We had a perfect morning on calm waters with like-minded Audubon members.

Beautiful Seashore Mallow

Anita Tyler in her sleek sit-on-top kayak.

It was nice to see a lot of Wild Celery.  This is an important SAV species for its food value for waterfowl.

Pickerelweed blooms from June-October and attracts a wide variety of pollinators like this skipper.  It also provides shelter and food for other types of wildlife.

More Pickerelweed.  Leaves are heart-shaped, and as Anita mentioned, the veins look like they are painted on.

Hi Anita!

An ensemble of Swamp Rose Mallow, Wild Rice, and Pickerelweed.  There was Cardinal Flower and Swamp Milkweed in this grouping also but they didn't make it into the picture.

My only shot of one of the many Ospreys we spotted.

Bird list:

Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Bald Eagle
Osprey
Red-shouldered Hawk
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
Forster's Tern
Caspian Tern
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Eastern Kingbird
Blue Jay
Barn Swallow
Tree Swallow
Carolina Wren
American Robin
Common Yellowthroat
Northern Cardinal
Common Grackley
Red-winged Blackbird

Ultimate Watersports is located at Dundee Creek and rents kayaks and paddleboards for those of us who don't own a boat yet.  http://www.ultimatewatersports.com/

Thanks all for a fine day.  Hugh Simmons has a BYO Boat event scheduled for next week - I hope you can join him.

Ruth Bergstrom