Mallard with youngWe probably say this every year, but nothing beats West Rutland Marsh in June for birding! Twelve participants on today’s monitoring walk, our 167th monthly walk, tallied 65 species. This is a bit more than our June average of 60 and a lot more than last year’s 57!
Herons were a highlight with American, Least, Great Blue and Green. An American Bittern flew across a hay field on the east side of Marble Street while later another flew overhead has we walked up Water Street.
The only raptor of the day was a single Red-tailed Hawk.
A good number of warblers were tallied: Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-White, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Yellow Warbler and Chestnut-sided.
As expected there was plenty of evidence of the breeding season with a female Mallard sitting on a log with her young, a nest box filled with cheeping Tree Swallows, a Baltimore Oriole carrying food and several species agitated by our presence.
The next marsh walk is scheduled for Thursday, July 9, at 7 a.m.
Today list:
Canada Goose 1
Mallard 9
American Bittern 2
Least Bittern 1
Great Blue Heron 2
Green Heron 3
Turkey Vulture 3
Red-tailed Hawk 1
Virginia Rail 1
Mourning Dove 6
Black-billed Cuckoo 1
Chimney Swift 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 2
Belted Kingfisher 3
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 1
Downy Woodpecker 2
Northern Flicker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee 1
Alder Flycatcher 6
Willow Flycatcher 4
Least Flycatcher 2
Great Crested Flycatcher 2
Eastern Kingbird 6
Yellow-throated Vireo 2
Warbling Vireo 6
Red-eyed Vireo 13
Blue Jay 7
American Crow 7
Common Raven 2
Northern Rough-winged Swallow 1
Tree Swallow 6
Barn Swallow 5
Black-capped Chickadee 5
Tufted Titmouse 2
House Wren 2
Marsh Wren 6
Veery 7
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 9
Gray Catbird 8
Brown Thrasher 1
European Starling 10
Cedar Waxwing 13
Ovenbird 9
Northern Waterthrush 1
Black-and-white Warbler 7
Common Yellowthroat 12
American Redstart 5
Yellow Warbler 11
Chestnut-sided Warbler 2
Chipping Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 8
Swamp Sparrow 11
Scarlet Tanager 2
Northern Cardinal 7
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1
Red-winged Blackbird 20
Common Grackle 13
Brown-headed Cowbird 1
Baltimore Oriole 5
House Finch 3
Purple Finch 1
American Goldfinch 12
House Sparrow 5