DVOC Field Trip Report

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September 12, 2009 (Saturday)
Fort Washington State Park

This was a joint trip with the Wyncote Audubon Society

Five people turned up this morning, Saturday, September 12, 2009, at the Flourtown Day Use Area of Fort Washington State Park. The gates were not even open when most of us got there, but that was soon remedied when the park manager turned up with the key. We braved the chill, mud, drizzle and mosquitoes and walked most of the trails starting at the parking lot, and then around the loop, to the fringe of the wetlands mitigation area, and over the bridge towards Stenton Avenue and the larger part of the park. We found pockets of birds, mostly where the mosquitoes were, and then larger areas that were bird-free zones. That seems to be typical of this fall's migration from my experience. Our best birds were a young Great-horned Owl perched in a tree, and American Redstart, Northern Parula, Black-throated Blue and Black-and-white Warblers. Among the migrants there were also many Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, White-breasted Nuthatches, Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers, and Northern Flickers. Notably absent for this area was Belted Kingfisher.

Participants were: Martin Selzer, Mary Phelan, Marlene Morano, Nancy Posel and Jane Henderson (Leader)