At least 16 participants enjoyed this morning's walk along the first
foggy, then sunny, River Road in Lyme, NH, one of a series of bird
walks of the Mascoma Chapter of the Audubon Society of New Hampshire.
More than 40 species of birds were found, but only some of the
highlights are mentioned here. If you'd like to have a complete list
of the birds, email Spencer Hardy <curlewsandpiper17ATgmail.com>,
who's generously volunteered to send a copy of a full ebird report to
those requesting.
Young Wood Ducks put on a good show at close range along North
Thetford Road just off River Road in Lyme. A few participants had an
exceptional sighting of a mature Cooper's Hawk capturing an
unfortunate Mourning Dove on the ground with dove feathers reported to
be flying in all directions. Intriguing, but regrettably unidentified
and not subsequently relocated, was a shorebird seen flying away with
a nearby Killdeer which was clearly larger in size than the
unidentified wader.
A Black-billed Cuckoo was seen and heard. Other species seen on or
near the shores of the Connecticut River included 2 Ruby-throated
Hummingbirds together and a Belted Kingfisher. Good views were
obtained of four species of swallows (Tree, Rough-winged, Cliff, and
Barn) perched near one another along a single utility wire which
crosses the Connecticut River. A Veery was present in a residential
yard, quite a different location from the usual woodland habitat in
which that species nests. Brilliantly colored birds still in breeding
plumages included a male Scarlet Tanager, also away from his usual
summer woodland habitat, an "eye popping" male Indigo Bunting, and a
male Baltimore Oriole, who provided a brief sample of song.
George Clark
Norwich, VT
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