Birdwatching Diversion

When I suggested you'd be amazed with the bird watching diversion, I was thinking you'd be amazed that anyone (i.e. me and 4 other SUNYLA members) would get up at 6:00am to go bird watching. Truth is, I had no idea bird watching could be so amazing!

The Clarkson University Great Blue Heron rookerie was hopping with activity. It surpassed anything I have ever seen on nature documentaries like "Sunrise Earth." Our thanks to local bird experts Joan Collins and Mary Beth Warburton who led us on a most fascinating journey. Mary Beth brought her scope so we could see zoom in on the birds in their nests. Both gave a running commentary on the birds we saw and heard as we walked through the woods and watched the marsh from the observation desk. In addition to the birds listed below we observed a muskrat munching on water lily leaves, heard many bull frogs and volunteered our services as a breakfast buffet for many mosquitoes. I wish I had brought my camera, but I'll be heading back to the marsh this weekend and will post those photos later.

Thanks to Joan Collins who just emailed me with her official account of the outing, posted to the Northern New York Birds email list earlier this morning:

6/12/08 Clarkson University Trails, Potsdam (6:30 to 7:30 a.m., weather was cool and clear, with calm winds)

Marianne Hebert, SUNY Potsdam Librarian, organized a pre-breakfast bird walk for several people attending the SUNY Librarians Association conference. Mary Beth Warburton and I led a hike to the observation tower overlooking a large swamp with a Great Blue Heron rookery. The short trail (~ 1/2 mile) leading to the swamp passes through a mature deciduous forest with one large open area near the beginning of the trail. We found 31 species during the short walk, including 6 flycatcher and 5 warbler species. Here is a complete list of the birds found:

Wood Duck - pair flying over

Hooded Merganser - female that flew in and briefly landed in the water near us

Great Blue Heron - we had wonderful views of all the nest sites filled with young. We also observed an adult carry a stick to one of the nests. It gave the stick to the other adult perched on the nest. The second adult placed the stick in the nest which had 3 young.

Green Heron - pair observed flying into the swamp together. They briefly perched in a dead snag then dropped down out of sight.

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

Eastern Wood-Pewee - several

Alder Flycatcher

Least Flycatcher

Eastern Phoebe - adults with 3 young perched in trees near the tower begging for food

Great Crested Flycatcher

Eastern Kingbird - in the clearing area chasing Amer. Crows

Red-eyed Vireo

Blue Jay

Amer. Crow

Tree Swallow

White-breasted Nuthatch

Hermit Thrush

Amer. Robin

European Starling - several in the swamp

Cedar Waxwing

Yellow Warbler

Black-throated Green Warbler

Ovenbird

Northern Waterthrush - at least 3

Common Yellowthroat

Song Sparrow

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

Red-winged Blackbird

Common Grackle

Baltimore Oriole - adults feeding young in a nest over the observation tower!

Amer. Goldfinch