We spent most of the morning in four areas of the refuge. By the Visitor’s Center we heard a yellow-billed cuckoo in the distance. Some other birds identified there included purple martin, ruby-throated hummingbird, chipping sparrow, and common yellowthroat. We identified 28 species along the Dike Trail. Some of these birds were brown thrasher, orchard oriole, laughing gull, osprey, red-winged blackbird, tree swallow, ring-billed gull, great blue heron, royal tern, Forster’s tern, Carolina wren, and northern flicker. Along the Boardwalk Trail, some of the birds we identified included gray catbird, eastern kingbird, indigo bunting, orchard oriole, black vulture, and blue-gray gnatcatcher. We also briefly heard a worm-eating warbler. The last trail took us along Blue Goose Trail to Foord’s Landing Road to the Entrance Road, and back to the Visitor’s Center. Some of the birds we identified along this loop were eastern towhee, common yellowthroat, field sparrow, red-eyed vireo, ovenbird, eastern bluebird, and turkey vulture. We also heard a yellow-breasted chat and an Acadian flycatcher along this route.
MY PHOTOS: orchard oriole, brown thrasher, eastern towhee, osprey, laughing gull, red-winged blackbird
