More Tarrywile Birds!!!

Friday, May 26, 2023

I went to Tarrywile Park today for a morning hike, getting some exercise, and to listen to the birds. The morning brings such a sound emanating from the collection of birds in the park. It is quite amazing! No, really! When I went several weeks ago, in half an hour my Merlin Bird App, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, identified 25 different species. This morning, in 60 minutes, it identified 39 different species. THIRTY-NINE! There are several birds I did not recognize by name when they popped up in the list.

Like, what's a Veery? Never heard of one before, but had a unique song sound. It was on the west side of Parks Pond, yesterday and today. I did not hear it anywhere else though. Combination of water and tree cover is at that location.

American Goldfinch American Redstart American Robin

Baltimore Oriole Black-capped Chickadee Blue Jay

Bobolink Brown Thrasher Carolina Wren

Cedar Waxwing Chimney Swift Common Grackle

Common Yellowthroat Eastern Kingbird European Starling

Gray Catbird Great-crested Flycatcher House Finch

House Sparrow House Wren Northern Cardinal

Red-eyed Vireo Rose-breasted Grosbeak Mourning Dove

Northern Mockingbird Northern Parula Red-bellied Woodpecker

Red-winged Blackbird Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow

Tufted Titmouse Veery Warbling Vireo

White-breasted Nuthatch Whit-throated Sparrow Wood Thrush

Yellow-throated Vireo Yellow-rumped Warbler Yellow Warbler

It was a chilly morning, too, forty-one degrees at 6AM. I wore a sweater and a jacket. Well, you know, among other things. I wore a light, knit hat, too. I wore my water-resistant shoes because there was a heavy dew on the grass. It looks like the grassy walkways have been mowed recently, which helps keep the moisture off the shoes to some extent, but they still become quite wet. With regular sneakers, ones socks would get wet on an hour walk this morning.

I started at the entrance on Tarrywile Drive, which is on the west side of the largest field. Then I walked clockwise around the perimeter on the wide, grassy path. I also spent time in the field on the east side, walked around Parks Pond on the west side, then through the woods to the top of the hill above the water tank, finally descending down and back to where I had entered. There I sat at a picnic table for about 30 minutes and took in the sunshine and quiet. Well, quiet except for the birds, they were going on and on and on. I was quiet, that is, my mind and spirit felt quiet, enjoying the gentle breeze blowing over the tall, green grass.

It was an easy morning, a walk in the park …