On Saturday, October 19, Rick Keyser lead what was probably Valley Forge Audubon's first bird walk at Stroud Preserve, an impressive Natural Lands Trust preserve of over 500 acres near West Chester. 47 species of birds were spotted; highlights included Merlin, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Lincoln's Sparrow, and White-crowned Sparrow. This impressive count is a testament to Stroud Preserve's position as part of the Laurels, King Ranch, Stroud Important Bird Area. It's also a testament to the importance of the work of the Natural Lands Trust, who have preserved over 21,000 acres of land in our region. The complete list, as submitted to eBird, follows:
Canada Goose 200 Conservative estimate - vocal flocks
Mallard 2 M/F pair flying over E. Brandywine Creek
Great Blue Heron 1 Flying
Turkey Vulture 2 Soaring
Accipiter sp. 1
Bald Eagle 1 Adult flying above E. Brandywine Creek
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Heard calling repeately
Red-tailed Hawk 2 Adult soaring
Killdeer 1 Heard sustained vocalizations
Mourning Dove 18
Red-bellied Woodpecker 8 Conservative estimate - vocal
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 3 Vocal, a pair
Downy Woodpecker 5 Vocal
Hairy Woodpecker 2 Saw, but not well, vocal
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 3 Vocal
Merlin 1 Fly-by
Eastern Phoebe 2
Blue Jay 20 Conservative estimate
American Crow 20 Conservative estimate
Tree Swallow 10 Conservative estimate
Carolina Chickadee 6
Tufted Titmouse 3
White-breasted Nuthatch 4 Calling; singing !
Brown Creeper 1 Heard sing once !
Winter Wren 1 Heard calling repeatedly, but would not show
Carolina Wren 6 Conservative estimate - singing, calling
Golden-crowned Kinglet 2
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 3 Calling
Eastern Bluebird 10 Conservative estimate - calling
Swainson's Thrush 1 Feeding on wild grapes in tree crown
Hermit Thrush 1 Feeding on wild grapes in tree crown
Catharus sp. 1 Feeding on wild grapes in tree crown
American Robin 30 Conservative estimate - calling; singing !
Gray Catbird 1 Calling
Northern Mockingbird 4 Calling; singing
European Starling 2 Pair perched in tree crown
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 10 Conservative estimate - calling
Eastern Towhee 4 Counter-calling
Field Sparrow 2
Song Sparrow 20 Conservative estimate: counter-singing, calling
Lincoln's Sparrow 1 Saw the bird call its soft chip-note, fine breast streaks and flank streaks, all with buffy wash underneath them.
Swamp Sparrow 5 Conservative estimate - calling
White-throated Sparrow 30 Conservative estimate - singing, calling
White-crowned Sparrow 2 An adult, and an immature seen well (thanks Jane)
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 3 Saw and heard "Kew" calls
Northern Cardinal 6 Conservative estimate - calling
Red-winged Blackbird 75 Conservative estimate - calling; counter-singing !
House Finch 5 Calling
American Goldfinch 30 Conservative estimate - calling
The group also heard one call that could have been a Palm Warbler, and another trill that could have been a Pine Warbler, Junco, or Swamp Sparrow. Other wildlife spotted included Clouded Sulphur and Monarch Butteflies, Spring Peeper, Eastern Chipmunk, and Gray Squirrel.
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