Mt. Tom Morning Walk

Spring migrants, Winter Wren, and possible Worm-eating Warbler

Four birders showed up for this walk, on a cool, overcast, and foggy, morning, although the rain that had been forecast (which probably depressed our attendance numbers) never really descended on us. In fact, visibility improved as the morning wore on, even though it never became truly clear. I want to call immediate attention to the sub-headline to this trip: Yes, we did get a Worm-eating Warbler. Altogether, we got 22 species, including the highlight bird, along with Black-and-white Warblers (4, one for each of us), 3 American Redstarts, 2 Magnolia, 1 Chestnut-sided, and 4 Prairie Warblers (which seemed to like the altitude). We had a baker’s handful (6) of Wood Thrushes, all the Red-eyed Vireos anyone could want (7), 4 Great Crested Flycatchers, plus Blue Jays, Black-capped Chickadees (but no Carolinas or Boreals), and a couple of Tufted Titmice, although in the Carolina department, we had two Carolina Wrens and one Winter Wren (see sub-headline again). We had Gray Catbirds, Eastern Towhees, Baltimore Orioles (but no Orchards), a couple of Ovenbirds, and four each of Scarlet Tanagers, Northern Cardinals, and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks. To top the list, we had a flyover by a dinosaur-like Great Blue Heron. (The conditions were not suitable for photography, so we were out of luck on that front.)