The bird enthusiasts on the Naromi annual Bird Hike this year saw and/or heard 41 species during the morning. Hike leader and bird expert Angela had her spotting scope set on a green heron in the distance at the outset and also pointed out the painted turtles sunning themselves.

 At the Wimisink Swamp boardwalk area they found 17 species, and later on the walk the upland ecology of the Strauss Preserve yielded another 24 species.  Check out the NLT website for more information on which species were seen. 

The long lasting cold weather slowed the leaf-out of trees this year with mixed results - no leaves makes it easier to see the birds, but no leaf buds means less food to attract the birds.  As the trees began to catch up and more migratory birds  have arrived daily;  keep your eyes and ears open right now for them.  .... No great blue heron appeared that morning, but they have been around for a month or so.

Send an email back to Naromi if you would like a full listing of the birds currently in the area -- keep in mind that some of them are year-round residents, some of the winter ones have gone farther north to breeding grounds, some migrants only pass through briefly, and some migrants come to our area to raise their young.

Female Pileated Woodpecker working to extricate a tasty morsel from an old tree stump:

Video by Marge Josephson

It is a perfect time to rid your property of invasive garlic mustard because it is currently in full flower, but not quite full seeds.  Read this article for more information on it's ecology.