Bles Park Bird Walk Finds 43 Species of Birds

Twenty birders attended the monthly Bles Park bird walk on July 17.  Highlights of the walk included several great looks at Indigo Buntings, a good look at a Common Yellowthroat, and a flyover by an adult Bald Eagle.  All told, the group found 43 species of birds along with several other typical sightings for the park, including a Muskrat, Eastern Pondhawk and Blue Dasher dragonflies and a couple species of damselflies.  We also found a fledgling Brown-headed Cowbird that appeared to have been raised by an Acadian Flycatcher.  Brown-headed Cowbirds are brood parasites, which means that they lay their eggs in other birds’ nests, focusing their reproductive energies on egg production instead of feeding nestlings.

The walk was led by Allison Gallo and Bryan Henson with the able assistance of Scott Harris, Michael Sciortino  and Michael Myers.  A complete list of birds recorded during the walk can be viewed on eBird at: https://ebird.org/checklist/S115248093.