The fall foliage is still brilliant on the hillsides, but the crystal coating on the cattails and other marsh vegetation this morning was a reminder of what is to come. Eighteen participants, sporting wool caps and warm gloves for the first time this season, joined together for our monthly monitoring of West Rutland Marsh.
Today’s tally was 37, three more than one year ago, and five more than our average for October (the high was 39 in October 2007).
Many species have departed or are at least packing their bags. In sharp contrast with September, only one gray catbird was recorded. No common yellowthroats or marsh wrens were observed, but a swamp sparrow sang weakly in the cattails.
Several ruby-crowned kinglets were flitting in the trees and goldenrod seedheads along with a few golden-crowned kinglets. Their contrasting call notes were quite obvious.
White-throated sparrows and dark-eyed juncos were seen in several spots along the route as well as song sparrows. Our first vesper sparrow for this walk was seen briefly along Marble Street. This is the third month in a row we have added a new species to our monitoring list.
Three purple finches, the two males looking particularly bright in the morning sun, sat in a bare tree. One was heard singing.
Three red-tailed hawks were noted, but no turkey vultures.
Our next walk: November 19 (Saturday) at 8 a.m.
Today’s list:
Canada Goose 2
Wood Duck 2
Mallard 2
Red-tailed Hawk 3
Rock Pigeon (Feral Pigeon) 6
Mourning Dove 6
Belted Kingfisher 2
Downy Woodpecker 6
Hairy Woodpecker 1
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted) 1
Pileated Woodpecker 1
Peregrine Falcon 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Blue Jay 19
American Crow 45
Common Raven 4
Black-capped Chickadee 25
Tufted Titmouse 2
White-breasted Nuthatch 3
Brown Creeper 1
Carolina Wren 1
Golden-crowned Kinglet 4
Ruby-crowned Kinglet 5
American Robin 65
Gray Catbird 1
European Starling 3
Chipping Sparrow 1
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 17
White-crowned Sparrow 2
White-throated Sparrow 10
Vesper Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 9
Swamp Sparrow 2
Northern Cardinal 5
Red-winged Blackbird 49
Purple Finch 4
American Goldfinch 17