Naugatuck State Forest Field Trip Report
May 13, 2018
An intrepid group of birders set out on the trails at the Naugatuck State Forest West Block on this cool and cloudy Mother’s Day morning. We hiked a total of five miles and saw and heard lots of good birds along the way. The unseasonable weather conditions kept many of the birds low to the ground, affording us excellent views of a number of uncommon and attractive species. Highlights included a pair of Hooded Warblers, numerous Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, stunning Scarlet Tanagers, vocal Baltimore Orioles, and a calling Black-billed Cuckoo. We saw an impressive total of 17 warbler species, including Worm-eating Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, and Prairie Warbler. Other notable species observed were Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Kingbird, Common Raven, Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson’s Thrush, Eastern Bluebird, Field Sparrow, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. We recorded a total of 65 species on the trip. A good time was had by all.
Chris Loscalzo
