Fifteen birders had a fine morning at this beautiful and wild locale. We hiked from Hunters Mountain Road, down through the ravine, up Forest Road, and then across to the fields north of our starting point. It was a windy and cool day, but we saw lots of good birds. Highlights included: Hooded Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Worm-eating Warbler, Louisiana Waterthrush, Swainson’s Thrush, Scarlet Tanager, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Yellow-throated and Blue-headed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Field Sparrow. All of these birds were seen in the State Forest. We also saw some good birds at our meeting place at the commuter lot off Route 8 at exit 25, including Black Vulture, Chimney Swift, and Belted Kingfisher. We observed a total of 64 species, including 18 warbler species. A good time was had by all, and it was good exercise, too!
Chris Loscalzo