Landis Arboretum Early Morning Bird Walk, Saturday, May 22

We had gorgeous weather for our annual Arboretum Spring Bird Walk. The weather was great for us and for the gnats. There were clouds of gnats that followed our small group of 10 bird watchers (including Kate, a crackerjack bird watcher at the age of 10). We identified 44 species of birds. We had a great look at a Scarlet Tanager that was sitting on top of a dead snag in clear view for all. A couple of Cedar Waxwings in a shadbush showed off their gorgeous “wax-tipped” wings and tails. Bluebirds abounded every where, including the area around the greenhouse and barn where we saw them gobbling up caterpillars.

There were several birds that we often get on our spring bird walk but missed this day. They include Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Black-throated Green Warbler, Indigo Bunting, Veery and a bunch of the woodpeckers – Downy, Hairy, Pileated and Northern Flicker.

Along with all the birds we discovered two small red efts along the woodland trail, heard many green frogs in the wet areas, heard many chipmunks in and around the woodlands and spotted a painted turtle in the pond down slope from the great oak.

Here are the birds we got.

Great Blue Heron
Canada Goose
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rock Pigeon
Mourning dove
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Tree Swallow
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Red-breasted Nuthatch
House Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Black-and-White Warbler
American Redstart
Common Yellowthroat
Ovenbird
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
American Gold Finch
House Finch