Tom Jiamachello and I investigated all three trailheads for the
Hinesburg Town Forest today, starting with the two entrances off
Hayden Hill Road and ending up at the Economou Road entrance. The
last place was superb! From noon until almost 3:00 on a hot day, the
woods were full of bird song. I can’t wait to find out what it’s like
early in the morning. The biggest excitement was a female Cerulean
Warbler, feeding quietly within 10 feet of us.
If anyone else would like to look for this bird, go to
www.hinesbury.org/hart.html then scroll down to Hinesburg Town Forest
for directions and trail map. Go to the end of Economou Road, park,
go through the metal gate and start walking. You’ll go through
hardwood forest, an open area with piled-up logs, and a stand of
white pines (with many trees down, presumably from the December 1
wind storm). The bird was about half way between a large puddle that
covers the road and a big birch tree that has fallen across the trail.
Recent posts have noted that the breeding season for Cerulean
Warblers is over and the birds might even have left the state by now.
Could this have been this season’s young?
Other warblers on the trail from the Economou trailhead:
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Black-throated Blue Warbler – at least 6
Blackburnian Warbler – male and female
Pine Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
American Redstart
Ovenbird
Other warblers on walks from the other two trailheads:
Common Yellowthroat
Black-throated Green Warbler
Other birds seen in this extensive forest:
Cooper's Hawk 2
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 1
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - Many adults in different places - plus two
trees with nest holes and noisy young.
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Blue-headed Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Common Raven
Black-capped Chickadee
Red-breasted Nuthatch
Winter Wrens – at least 2 – They really love all the tangled mess
left behind by the windstorm!
Veery - several
Hermit Thrush – 1 – silent but kindly posing for us
Wood Thrush - several, singing even as late as 2:00
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing - including two bathing in the big puddle
Song Sparrow
Dark-eyed Junco
Scarlet Tanager – great views of one male
Rose-breasted Grosbeak – completely silent!
Red-winged Blackbird
American Goldfinch
Probably Ruby-Crowned Kinglets – heard several times but never seen
This report has been entered in eBird.
Maeve Kim
Jericho Center
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