Summer Birds at Bennington

The Tuesday walk started off almost birdless – and very windy.  There were just a few ducks on the water – American wigeons, mallards, redheads and northern shovelers, plus a double crested cormorant.  One osprey was patrolling the lake and we saw two northern harriers.   Two ravens were flying low through the trees, no doubt looking for nests to rob.  House wrens and yellow warblers were very vocal and a few brown headed cowbirds flitted here and there. However, things picked up when we got to the east side of the lake. First we heard a Bullock's oriole.  After much searching we found it in the trees along with several more and a western kingbird.  Then we watched a dusky flycatcher in the shrubs, and while watching it, saw a Hammond's flycatcher.  Further along the trail two beautiful male lazuli buntings posed for us on a tree snag.  Calliope hummingbirds perched in their usual places on the west side of the canal.  Back in the trees we flushed a great horned owl adult, but couldn't find the young.  Another Hammond's flycatcher flitted around in a nearby shrub and we got great looks at it.  The female red-tailed hawk was on the nest high in a cottonwood, and the male was letting us know to stay away. We also got nice looks at a pair of yellow-rumped warblers, and watched flickers at two snags poke their heads out of their nest holes.  It's always fun to see the summer birds return.  Next week there will be more.....