Louisiana Waterthrush
Ahhh Spring. For some time now it is been “technically” Spring, but it sure hasn’t felt like it. We are just getting through a very cold and long winter and it was a nice relief today to simply take a walk around Garret in a light coat and take in the sun.
The first week of April is a great time at Garret to seek out some of the early Spring arrivals. Pine Warbler, Winter Wren and Louisiana Waterthrush are some of my favorite birds and can be found precisely this time of year at Garret. I parked at the top of Wilson and had 2 of the 3 within the first 10 minutes of my walk. A Winter Wren popped out of a pile of broken logs and twigs (very Winter Wren appropriate!) and hopped along the stream’s edge at the bottom of Wilson. (We saw at least 3 Winter Wrens around Garret today) Then, a bright yellow male Pine Warbler came into my view testing my small movement periphery skills. The bright yellow stood out, but the size compared to the many Golden-crowned Kinglets around also was telling. He didn’t call or sing at all so I will have to wait for my first Pine song of the year but I was happy with my first male (I had a female @ Charles H Rodgers in Princeton which was a FOS yesterday). The path on Wilson turned up more Golden-crowned Kinglets and a single Yellow-rumped Warbler and 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
We then headed down towards the stream behind the boat house hoping to see the regular Louisiana Waterthrush. Sure enough, not even yet onto the path one popped into view and began working the rocks and stream sides for food pumping its tail all the way. Its officially Spring once I see a Louisiana Waterthrush. 🙂 Awesome bird. There was also a Winter Wren here and more GC Kinglets. No Killdeer here yet for me and no Palm Warbler.
We continued our walk and had 3 awesome (slightly later than normal) Fox Sparrows working with a flock of White-throated Sparrows and Dark-eyed Juncos. Pretty orangy, (yes that’s an official color description I made up :)) none of them were the deep brick red but they were a pleasure to see! We also came across a pair of Eastern Phoebes on our walk past the picnic area and a first for me at Garret, a young male Red-headed Woodpecker!
A nice start to the spring walks at Garret.
(Early pictures of the spring are usually some of the worst due to minimal birds and fleeting views. These represent that to be true. 🙂 Here they are anyways. If history proves true they will improve as the Spring moves on.)
Pine Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Eastern Phoebe
Red-headed Woodpecker
