Sweet, sweet, [and a] little more sweet!

Photo: Cindy Smith and Richard Miller track down an elusive birdlet in a backwater of the Clyde River
This morning's birdwatching outing along the Clyde River turned up a few intrepid birders and 51 species of birds - including a few secretive or uncommon ones (birds, that is). By 6:30 am the steady rain from earlier in the morning had ceased, leaving a surprisingly mild and bug-free calm on the water. With high water we were able to paddle over beaver dams and explore the many wetland nooks and crannies for signs of life. The species list for a section of river less than a half mile long follows:

Birds (most interesting species for this site in bold): pied-billed grebe, eastern kingbird (on nest), American robin, yellow warbler, common yellowthroat, eastern pheobe, alder flycatcher, northern waterthrush, magnolia warbler, myrtle warbler, black-throated green warbler, black-throated blue warbler, red-eyed vireo, great blue heron, mallard, American black duck, wood duck, blackpoll warbler, great-crested flycatcher, gray catbird, cedar waxwing, red-breasted nuthatch, hairy woodpecker, northern flicker, ruby-crowned kinglet, least flycatcher, blackburnian warbler, black-capped chickadee, sora, Virginia rail, marsh wren, northern parula, veery, American crow, common raven, chimney swift, tree swallow, red-winged blackbird, common grackle, American goldfinch, rose-breasted grosbeak, white throated sparrow, swamp sparrow, song sparrow, belted kingfisher, common snipe, Canada warbler, killdeer, mourning dove, blue jay, and blue-headed vireo.

Non-birds: eastern painted turtle, flowering bog rosemary, green frog, and spring peeper