Bear Swamp and Another Marsh Wren at East Bangor Dam ~ September 23, 2024

After using the bathroom at Lake Minsi, I did a quick scan of the lake and saw a Great Egret, a Great Blue Heron, and a Common Raven.

I birded the early morning at Bear Swamp. At the powerline cut, I found Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireo, Common Raven, White-throated Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, and warblers that included Magnolia, Black-and-white, Black-throated Green, Northern Parula, and Common Yellowthroat.

Blue-headed Vireo

White-throated Sparrow

Indigo Bunting

Magnolia Warbler

A Wood Thrush and a 'fly-by' group of 50 Red-winged Blackbirds were also seen there.

I then drove to East Bangor Dam. I tallied 11 Wood Ducks, 4 Double-crested Cormorants, a Great Blue Heron, 2 Pileated Woodpeckers, 9 Northern Flickers, and at least 50 Red-winged Blackbirds. In the cattails along the railroad tracks, I saw 3 Swamp Sparrows, a Common Yellowthroat, and my second Marsh Wren for the month! As usual, this skulker played hide-and-seek as I tried unsuccessfully to get unobstructed photos of it.

Marsh Wren

On the way back home, I stopped at the Hollo Road retention pond and saw 18 Green-winged Teal, 8 Killdeer, one Greater and 3 Lesser Yellowlegs, one Semipalmated and 2 Least Sandpipers, a Great Blue Heron, 2 American Goldfinches, and a Brown-headed Cowbird among at least 100 Red-winged Blackbirds.

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