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Fall-migration bird walk at Garret Mountain Reservation(Barbour's Pond)

   

Barbour's Pond
Barbour's Pond

    With October 8, 2022, being World Migratory Bird Day, it's time to go birdwatching again in the Northeast. Various warblers and other small birds migrate to the South during this period, making it one of the best times to go birdwatching. Make sure to plan a bird walk between October 8 and 23, when most songbirds are migrating.

My trip to Garret Mountain

    My trip to Garret Mountain went pretty well(by my standards). Here is a comprehensive list of all 18 species of birds I saw:

Canada Goose

10

Turkey Vulture

1

Belted Kingfisher

1

Yellow-bellied Sapsucker

3

Eastern Wood-Pewee

1

Eastern Phoebe

2

Blue-headed Vireo

1

Ruby-Crowned Kinglet

5

Golden-crowned Kinglet

1

White-Breasted Nuthatch

2

Brown Creeper

3

White-throated Sparrow

6

Song Sparrow

1

Eastern Towhee

1

Northern Parula

1

Palm Warbler

1

Pine Warbler

7

Yellow-rumped Warbler

3



    I arrived at Barbour's Pond at 9 in the morning, since warblers are not really "early birds." They start waking up as the sun rises, especially in the fall. I was greeted by a Turkey Vulture and a rout of female yellow-rumped warblers and ruby-crowned kinglets at the entrance to the trail near the Boathouse. I also met another fellow birdwatcher, who was a great help in identifying birds along the way. As I entered the path, I saw three camouflaged brown creepers and a white-breasted nuthatch.

    As I went into the deep forest of the trail, I saw a flock of various warblers, a group of sapsuckers, and other small songbirds. A particularly noteworthy sighting was an Eastern Towhee near the bluff overlooking the pond. Surprisingly, no notable waterfowl were present, not even Green-winged teal or Gadwall. There would usually be various waterfowl present at this time of year. My guess is they are at larger bodies of water, like reservoirs. The most common birds I saw were the ruby-crowned kinglets and the pine warblers; the birds were scattered all over the trail. Sadly, I did not spot any warbler rarities. I should have come later during the day, around 10-11AM when it would have been warm out. However, I had a great time enjoying the birds, which is what really matters.

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