The Fall 2019 Friends of Sligo Creek Bird Walk turned out to be more like a Bird Stand. But no one was really complaining about the change in itinerary.

Sixteen birders joined trip leaders Mary Singer and David Blockstein in proving that one does not need to trek long distances to observe avian diversity. 

The group started at the parking lot near the stormwater ponds upstream from Forest Glen Road, ambled about 100 feet to the nearest pond, and returned to the parking lot two hours later without having ventured any further.

 

Not only did we save on shoe leather, we also found that the pond was an attractive lure for resident and migratory species. At the end of the two hours, our count was 30 species seen or heard. 

	Eight Red-eyed Vireos were spotted on the outing. (allaboutbirds.org photo)

They included six species of woodpecker (Downy, Hairy, Red-bellied, Northern Flicker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, and Pileated) and five species of warbler (Black-and-white, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, and Black-throated Blue). While many of these birds were a bit aloof and elusive, the Pileated Woodpecker was particularly cooperative as it hammered a maple tree less than 30 feet away.

Several species were seen in large numbers,  including eight Northern Flickers, eight Red-eyed Vireos, twelve Blue Jays, five White-breasted Nuthatches, 14 American Robins, and eight American Goldfinches.

 

Other highlights included a Wood Duck on the wing and a small flock of Red-eyed Vireos chasing each other amidst the shrubbery. Another welcome sight was an abundant number of Monarch butterflies soaring toward the clouds and doing their best to fool some of us into thinking we were spotting distant raptors.

 

We held the "walk" near the ponds this fall in hopes that the water would give us additional diversity. No doubt it did, though the "flash drought" we are experiencing has diminished their usual liquidity. Let's hope there is enough water in the system to keep our migrants and residents from becoming too parched.

 

The Friends of Sligo Creek once again thank Mary and David for sharing their enthusiasm and expertise. Their knowledge goes well beyond simple (or not so simple) identification to cover birdy behavior, natural history, and biomimicry. How else would we learn, for example, that woodpecker skulls have been studied as models for designing better motorcycle helmets? After seeing the Pileated dismantle that maple, we now understand why.