Registrar: Anne Lazarus
Participants: 18
Weather: Sunny, 80’s F
Bird Species: 65
We thank Richard, our excellent leader for an outstanding trip, and Gordon, who agreed to serve as a second leader when more people registered than could be accommodated with a single leader. Great Swamp was destined to be an airport, but thanks to public opposition, it was saved.
We were greeted on arrival by several Purple Martins and Eastern Bluebirds. Other birds inhabiting this area of fields and woodlands include Field Sparrows, Chipping Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Wood Thrushes, Veeries, House Wrens, Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroats and other birds. We explored several sites, each with different bird species. An American Bittern flew over the swamp. We noticed two Orchard Orioles in a tree located on the edge of a road, where we also heard two Yellow-throated Vireos. Suddenly, a Willow Flycatcher vocalized, but only once. We listened to a Pileated Woodpecker, but we were unable to find it. To our surprise two Brown Thrashers emerged from the woods and landed on a path.
Our second destination was Lord Stirling Park where two Pileated Woodpeckers had been reported the previous day. We did not find them, but we saw many other lovely birds including a Rose-breasted Grosbeak, a Hairy Woodpecker, an Eastern Wood-Pewee, a Baltimore Oriole, two Eastern Towhees, two Black Vultures and three Green Herons. Our featured mammal was an Eastern Cottontail at the parking lot.
Aficionados of butterflies and odonates were pleased to see several species of both at Great Swamp and Lord Stirling Park. At Lord Stirling Park we saw several Blue-fronted Dancers, one Powdered Dancer, one Eastern Forktail (female), two Slaty Skimmers, Black Saddlebags, Eastern Amberwings and one Blue Dasher. We found interesting butterflies at both sites. Highlights include Great Spangled Fritillary, Question Mark, several Common Wood Nymphs and Least Skippers.
Species Lists
Birds
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Rock Pigeon
Mourning Dove
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Double-crested Cormorant
American Bittern
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Willow Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
American Crow
Fish Crow
Black-capped Chickadee
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
House Wren
Marsh Wren
Carolina Wren
European Starling
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Veery
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
House Sparrow
House Finch
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Song Sparrow
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Orchard Oriole
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Yellow Warbler
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Mammals
White-tailed Deer
Eastern Cottontail
Eastern Chipmunk
Herps
Painted Turtle
Wood Frog
Green Frog
Butterflies
Black Swallowtail
Cabbage White
Summer Azure
Eastern Tailed Blue
Orange Sulphur
Great Spangled Fritillary
Question Mark
Monarch
Common Wood Nymph
Little Wood Satyr
Least Skippers
Odonates
Blue-fronted Dancer
Powdered Dancer
Eastern Forktail
Black Saddlebags
Eastern Amberwing
Common Whitetail
Slaty Skimmer
Blue Dasher
