It is International Migratory Bird Day this weekend, so yesterday I took some time in the morning to go up to Swantown Road in North Stonington to look for the Cerulean Warblers and Hooded warblers. The trees are not quite in full leaf so the birds are theoretically visible, however it was somewhat cold and moist and so there was not a lot of movement. This area has a lot of tall, old deciduous trees so it’s a good spot for Ceruleans, and the habitat gets swampier as you go down the hill where you can usually find waterthrushes.
One of my favorite things about Swantown Road are the many dogwood trees which are now in bloom in the forest.
I heard the Cerulean warblers around the Stonington Institute building, but I didn’t manage to see one until somewhat farther down the road. Also, all along the first part of the road were Hooded warblers. I saw so many of them, in fact, that they became somewhat of a trash bird for the day. I also had Blue-grey gnatcatchers and a great look at a Northern Waterthrush. The morning chorus there is beautiful and loud and diverse.
List for the morning:
- Canada Goose
- Mallard
- Turkey
- Mourning Dove
- Chimney Swift
- Barn Swallow
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Eastern Phoebe
- Great-crested Flycatcher
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Yellow-throated Vireo
- Blue Jay
- American Crow
- Tufted Titmouse
- Black-capped Chickadee
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Carolina Wren
- Blue-grey Gnatcatcher
- Eastern Bluebird
- American Robin
- Wood Thrush
- Gray Catbird
- Blue-winged Warbler
- Yellow Warbler
- Cerulean Warbler
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Worm-eating Warbler
- American Redstart
- Ovenbird
- Northern Waterthrush
- Common Yellowthroat
- Hooded Warbler
- Northern Cardinal
- Eastern Towhee
- Song Sparrow
- Chipping Sparrow
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Common Grackle
- Baltimore Oriole
- American Goldfinch
- House Finch