Pioneer Valley birds this weekend. I’ve included youtube clips of their songs this time.
Everywhere I went I heard the lovely song of the Wood Thrush. Not the easiest bird to find despite hearing the song fluting through the woods. Here is a clip of their song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcR6XrnD7Yc&ab_channel=CornellLabofOrnithology
Along the walk I heard the sound of the Northern Flicker, but only when he stopped calling did I spot him, the one spot of morning light shining brightly in the dark green woods. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EQeJBQH1nk&ab_channel=GoTrails
This Titmouse was also roaming around with his piercing tweet tweet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zcQOEMxYUMU&ab_channel=GoTrails
The catbird also makes a racket! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQGKIEoVHTo&ab_channel=CornellLabofOrnithology
For a couple of years the little Carolina Wren has been waking me up in the mornings. And yet I’ve never gotten a good picture of one of them. Always flitting around in the bushes. My chance finally came this weekend. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kshvOXx2iLI&ab_channel=GoTrails
Along the swamp at Station Road there were lots Baltimore Orioles. I watched two of the males very busy with one another in a tree there. Not sure if they were pals or competitors – looked like both somehow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvvl1qfsh8A&ab_channel=AnnieG-Oiseauxetnature
Barn and tree swallows flying low prior to today’s rain. Always fun to try to photograph skimming over the water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg9D8_aEK9Q&ab_channel=MyBackyardBirding
It would have been a lovely day except for the fact that a woman at Silvio Conte told me she had just seen Flickers mating and when I got to the rail trail I heard that I had just missed seeing a family of baby Hooded Mergansers leaping out of the box and swimming off into the reeds with their Mama! Timing is everything in this hobby!