Marsh WrenIt was a beautiful day at West Rutland Marsh for our monitoring walk! Don’t we say that every month? Fifteen birders gathered to count 50 species. Our average for July is 51. The high was 57 in 2015.
We started the morning as we always do with a stroll down the boardwalk. Swamp sparrows and marsh wrens continue to sing away and a house wren is still chattering away near the kiosk. But the highlight here was an American bittern crouched next to the boardwalk. Several of us saw it before it crept away through the cattails. Amazingly, it was in the same spot when we returned over three hours later.
No great blue herons were seen today, but a green heron was seen in flight and a least bittern flew across the road just north of the boardwalk. This is one of the two spots it has been seen or heard on a fairly regular basis this season.
We all had a good look a two marsh wrens along Marble Street and they landed in front of us and pecked at an appealing (to them) tidbit.
Two warbling vireos were singing rather weakly, but the red-eye vireos are still going on and on.
There is plenty of evidence of breeding. Eastern kingbird young were begging for food and an adult female rose-breasted grosbeak was feeding a youngster.
American Black BearWarbler song was a bit muted today except for numerous common yellowthroats and five black-and-white warblers, who are still singing rather enthusiastically. Three American redstarts were heard as well as one ovenbird. Three yellow warblers were seen, but were not vocalizing.
Raptor numbers were low, but we did have a good look at a peregrine falcon as it flew by. A red-tailed hawk was being chased by crows (no sign of ravens today).
We also took a peek at butterflies today as the day was warm and sunny - a viceroy was perched on Queen Anne’s lace and a Baltimore checkerspot seemed to be enjoying the poison parsnip. Tiger swallowtails were everywhere.
And, as wonderful as the birds and butterflies were this morning, they were upstaged by a mammal. A bear crossed Marble Street ahead of us!
Our next walk is scheduled for Saturday, August 19, at 7 a.m.
Today's List: