I led a group of four students on today's trip to Arnot Forest. If you
have never been there, it offers a good variety of habitat in over
4,000 acres. There are mature hardwood forests, hemlock groves, logged-
over and second growth woods, open fields, ponds, and a major stream.
A full day is barely enough time to cover everything. In past years
the trip has been done as an overnight, and it is a shame that the
tradition has not continued.
The weather forecast was for showers, and I believe that that
discouraged many from coming. Overall, with three all-day groups and
one half-day group, we had fewer than 20 participants. Again, that was
a shame, because the birding was great.
We began the day at Green Springs Natural Cemetery, just north of
Arnot, in the fog. We got off to good start with Purple Finches, Rose-
breasted Grosbeaks, and White-crowned Sparrows at the feeders. The
surrounding fields were filled with courting Bobolinks. We had one
male Bobolink that began its song with two notes that sounded to me
like bobwhite - quite confusing until we figured out that all of the
sound was coming from one bird.
As we drove up Irish Hill Road and through the north gate, we
encountered the first of several dozen Chestnut-sided Warblers, as
well as American Redstarts, Ovenbirds, Black-throated Blue, Nashville,
and Yellow Warblers. Baltimore Orioles and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks
were common, and we ran into a couple of Scarlet Tanagers. Somewhere
along the road we had an Indigo Bunting (singing), Veery (calling),
and a Common Raven ("gronk" call).
We walked the large field at the top of the hill, flushing Song,
Field, Chipping, Savannah, and Grasshopper Sparrows. White we only
found one Savannah, we ran across three Grasshoppers (two males
chasing a female). We heard the Grasshoppers first and then were able
to get good, close looks at one of the males.
While we ate lunch alongside the road we could hear several Black-
throated Blue and Prairie Warblers, a Black-throated Green, and
another Nashville Warbler. We then drove slowly down the road towards
the field campus, stopping occasionally to listen to a Winter Wren,
Louisiana Waterthrush, and a Canada Warbler. Much of the day's birding
was done by ear, but we were able to get great looks at the Canada
Warbler.
We left Arnot around 2 PM and headed over to Lindsay Parsons Preserve.
The shrubby ravine at the entrance was quiet except for Yellow
Warblers and Common Yellowthroats. But as soon as we emerged into the
first field we heard one of the resident Brown Thrashers and the first
of at least four Prairie Warblers. We found one Blue-winged Warbler in
the second field, more Prairies, and several Chestnut-sided Warblers.
We met up with Bill Baker's group just across the railroad tracks and
listened to two Hooded Warblers on territory as well as two Black-and-
White Warblers a bit to the south. We were about to leave when a pair
of Black-billed Cuckoos flew in and then flew out just as quickly.
Unfortunately, only a couple of people were able to spot them.
Before giving up for the day, we stopped at the firehouse pond across
from the preserve and found our first Great Blue Heron, two Wood
Ducks, and a pair of Pileated Woodpeckers that remained in the open,
preening, for several minutes.
So, we beat the rain. It never got as warm as predicted. And we found
a total of 73 species. Given that we had no shorebirds, no gulls, few
raptors, and almost no ducks, we considered it a good day.
Bob McGuire
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