Despite the overcast conditions, West Rutland
Marsh was at its spring best today with eight
participants tallying 64 species (compared with
68 one year ago). 

Highlights today included an American Bittern
flying directly overhead, a Black-billed Cuckoo
and a Blue-winged Warbler. Solitary Sandpiper,
Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhee, not usually
observed, were also counted. An Eastern Kingbird
and a female Baltimore Oriole were each observed
carrying nesting material.

6 Canada Goose  
2 Wood Duck   
5 Mallard  
2 Ruffed Grouse  
3 American Bittern  
1 Red-tailed Hawk  
4 Virginia Rail  
1 Solitary Sandpiper  
2 Wilson's Snipe  
1 Rock Pigeon  
14 Mourning Dove  
1 Black-billed Cuckoo  
6 Yellow-bellied Sapsucker  
3 Downy Woodpecker  
2 Northern Flicker  
1 Pileated Woodpecker  
1 Alder Flycatcher  
1 Least Flycatcher  
5 Eastern Phoebe  
1 Great Crested Flycatcher  
12 Eastern Kingbird  
7 Warbling Vireo  
1 Red-eyed Vireo  
10 Blue Jay  
12 American Crow  
2 Common Raven  
17 Tree Swallow  
8 Barn Swallow  
10 Black-capped Chickadee  
3 Tufted Titmouse  
7 House Wren  
1 Winter Wren  
10 Marsh Wren  
2 Veery  
2 Wood Thrush  
14 American Robin  
13 Gray Catbird  
1 Brown Thrasher  
4 European Starling  
1 Blue-winged Warbler  
23 Yellow Warbler  
7 Chestnut-sided Warbler  
2 Yellow-rumped Warbler  
2 Black-throated Green Warbler  
5 Black-and-white Warbler  
5 Ovenbird  
21 Common Yellowthroat  
2 Scarlet Tanager  
1 Eastern Towhee  
2 Chipping Sparrow  
1 Savannah Sparrow  
14 Song Sparrow  
11 Swamp Sparrow  
2 White-throated Sparrow  
5 Northern Cardinal  
5 Rose-breasted Grosbeak  
49 Red-winged Blackbird  
11 Common Grackle  
3 Brown-headed Cowbird  
11 Baltimore Oriole    
2 Purple Finch  
1 House Finch  
36 American Goldfinch  
8 House Sparrow  

The next marsh monitoring walk is scheduled for
Saturday, June 21, 7 a.m.

Rutland County Audubon's annual Century Count is
scheduled for Saturday, May 31, 6 a.m.

Sue Elliott
http://www.rutlandcountyaudubon.org