It was a hazy day due to the smoke from eastern Canadian forest fires but also a good day as we identified 55 species. We covered five areas of the refuge. Some of the birds we identified by the Visitor’s Center were purple martin, eastern towhee, common yellowthroat, and northern cardinal. The highlight of the day was three ring-necked phalaropes in Raymond Pool. Other birds identified in Raymond Pool included snowy egret, eastern kingbird, a group of American avocets, black-necked stilt, willet, black-bellied plover, osprey, barn swallow, yellow warbler, and clapper rail. Some of the birds identified in Shearness Pool were bald eagle (2 adults), red-winged blackbird, glossy ibis, common yellowthroat, Forster’s tern, mute swan, and wood duck (female with 5 ducklings). We saw and heard many birds in Finis Pool such as ovenbird, black-crowned night heron (adult and imm.), wood thrush, red-eyed vireo, orchard oriole, Carolina wren, downy woodpecker, blue jay, gray catbird, house wren, and great blue heron. Our last trail was Bear swamp Pool. Some of the birds we identified there included eastern wood-peewee, American goldfinch, marsh wren, Canada goose, black-necked stilt, yellow warbler, great egret, turkey vulture, and tree swallow.
MY PHOTOS: red-necked phalarope, American avocet, snowy egret, common yellowthroat, eastern kingbird, glossy ibis, red-winged blackbird, mute swan
