This morning we started our weekly Spring Bird Walks. Every Tuesday morning, from now until June, we will be taking bird walks around the region. Some of the places we plan to visit are Lake Nockamixon, Wy-Hit-Tuk, and Merrill Creek.
We start the series here at Mariton. This first walk is always a little early to get migrating species. This year, because of the long winter, it is really early. But for me, this first walk is kind of like spring training for baseball players: it gets me in shape. My ear gets tuned for different bird songs. I practice tuning out louder, more common birds while listening to fainter songs. I work on the fundamentals of mounting my glasses, picking out bird locations, and giving directions to other birders.
While bird activity was a little slow we did take the opportunity to admire some spring wildflowers. Bloodroot and hepatica were in bloom along the River Lookout Trail, as was the shadbush. Fiddleheads of different ferns had popped out and will soon be unfurling. We also saw several butterflies: cabbage white, mourning cloak, spring azure, and a very early (male) black swallowtail.
The birding wasn't bad either. We got our first ovenbird. The black and white warblers were beginning to sing. We also listened to ruby-crowned kinglets singing away, as they hopped from branch to branch. We saw a palm warbler, a hermit thrush, and a male bluebird. This rufous-sided towhee gave us a show. Finally, we ended the walk with the first vireo song of the spring. It was probably a red-eyed vireo, but we couldn't locate it and it only sang twice.
Next Tuesday, we will be heading to Giving Pond, in Tinicum. Last year this was one of the hottest places we visited. We saw a long list of species; some that were very uncommon. Call if you are interested in joining our bird walks (610-258-6574). We meet at Mariton at 7:30 a.m. and carpool to the different locations. We try to return to Mariton by noon.
