On Sunday, April 26, fifteen New Haven Bird Club members and visitors set out to tour the Kellogg Environmental Center Grounds and the trails across the street in Osbornedale State Park. Though it wasn’t a super-birdy day, we got good looks at a male Common Merganser in the Housatonic River below, a couple of male Eastern Towhees (by virtue of extreme patience), and failed to entice a Northern House Wren out of the bushes by our path at the Kellogg Center. Across the street we had great looks at male Wood Ducks, found a male Orchard Oriole, a Northern Yellow Warbler, an early Eastern Warbling vireo, and for about twenty-minutes stalked a singing Louisiana Waterthrush up a rocky stream, though without achieving a sighting. A Blue-winged Warbler sang, but also evaded us. There was plenty to keep our attention, though, between the numerous Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles around the ponds, and the nestbox-holding Tree Swallows and Eastern Bluebirds, among others. Several Canada Geese were on eggs beside the pond. It was a good morning in great company.
DeWitt Allen