Three members and 6 non-members joined Art on an overcast morning for birding in the bridle trail area of Ridley Creek State Park. The region where we birded is maturing woodland dominated by large tulip trees and American beeches, with some areas of woods edge and scrub-shrub habitat. The morning started out warm with light showers, and then it cooled down and the wind picked up as a front came through. The best birds were Acadian Flycatchers, Scarlet Tanagers, Chestnut-sided Warblers and Blue-winged Warblers which gave us excellent looks, and a migrant Swainson’s Thrush which gave us close leisurely looks but never vocalized. We heard at least a half-dozen Hooded Warblers in the distance but none came into view. Kentucky Warblers, which have been hanging on here in spite of severe degradation of the understory by white-tailed deer, could not be found in their traditional nesting areas.

Birds seen and heard (46 species)

Canada Goose
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Northern Flicker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Eastern Phoebe
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Warbling Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
White-breasted Nuthatch
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Veery
Swainson’s Thrush
Wood Thrush
American Robin
Gray Catbird
Cedar Waxwing
Blue-winged Warbler
Northern Parula
Chestnut-sided Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Eastern Towhee
Song Sparrow
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Baltimore Oriole