Park Preserve, May 20th 2012

- By Laura Stenzler

On Sunday, May 20, 15 enthusiastic birders joined me for a Cayuga Bird Club walk around the Finger Lakes Land Trust's Roy H. Park Nature Preserve in Dryden.  Immediately upon entering the preserve, we heard Prairie Warbler and Blue-winged Warbler.  A few minutes later we were treated to a high flying Green Heron, which slowly circled above us, posing nicely for in-flight photos.

We heard more birds than we actually saw, but eventually we enjoyed an amazing view of a Prairie Warbler, which perched and sang from the top of a small evergreen.  We had it in the scope and loads of photos were taken.  We also enjoyed scope views of Indigo Bunting as well as decent looks at a Blue-winged Warbler.  During the walk we heard many Magnolia Warblers, a number of Prairie Warblers, Canada Warblers , Blackburnian Warbler (these last two frustratingly close but invisible!), Ovenbird, Black-throated Green Warbler , Eastern Towhee, Scarlet Tanager, Winter Wren (seen by a few) and Hermit Thrush.  Some from the group heard Barred Owl calling and most of us heard and then saw two Black-billed Cuckoos.  We heard what was probably a Cape May Warbler singing from the spruces, as well as Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Ebird list (42 species):

Canada Goose  3

Ruffed Grouse  X

Green Heron  1

Black-billed Cuckoo  2

Barred Owl  X     Heard

Ruby-throated Hummingbird  X

Pileated Woodpecker  X

Eastern Wood-Pewee  X

Great Crested Flycatcher  X

Blue-headed Vireo  X

Red-eyed Vireo  X

Blue Jay  X

American Crow  X

Black-capped Chickadee  X

White-breasted Nuthatch  X

Winter Wren  X

Golden-crowned Kinglet  X

Hermit Thrush  X

American Robin  X

Gray Catbird  X

European Starling  X

Cedar Waxwing  X

Ovenbird  X

Louisiana Waterthrush  X

Blue-winged Warbler  X

Common Yellowthroat  X

American Redstart  X

Cape May Warbler  X     Probable, heard but not seen

Magnolia Warbler  X

Blackburnian Warbler  X

Yellow-rumped Warbler  X

Prairie Warbler  X

Black-throated Green Warbler  X

Canada Warbler  X

Eastern Towhee  X

Chipping Sparrow  X

Field Sparrow  X

Song Sparrow  X

Dark-eyed Junco  X

Scarlet Tanager  X

Brown-headed Cowbird  X

American Goldfinch  X