Despite the cloudy skies and chilly temperatures, the Granby Land Trust had a good turnout (in terms of both humans and birds) for its bird walk on May 13.
Walk leader John Weeks reports: “Things got off to a nice start, with a pair of Redstarts engaged in a colorful dogfight right before our eyes, to everyone’s amusement. We kept a safe distance to observe a Great Blue Heron sitting on her nest high in a spindly tree. Then the Virginia Rails (three of them) answered my calls, and two of them gave us fleeting, but multiple looks as they darted around in the marsh grass only a few feet from the path. We also found three singing male Wilson’s Warblers, which are strikingly handsome (with their berets) and quite uncommon. Birders in New England are always excited to find one of these warblers, because they pass through the region for only a few days each spring and fall. Timing is everything.
Not every bird was that responsive, due to the chilly weather, but we had fine looks at others, including Red-eyed Vireo, Scarlet Tanager, Yellow Warbler, Baltimore Oriole and Rose-breasted Grosbeak — all crowd pleasers. I noted a total of 48 species, seen or heard.
The GLT thanks John and his wife, Christine, for running this popular event each year and sharing their knowledge, expertise and passion with our membership. The GLT is committed to preserving and protecting bird habitat, and it’s always exciting to see the amazing variety of species that make their homes here or stop for a rest here during their spring migration.