I planned to bird Upper Mount Bethel Township and then head west from there. I slowly drove along National Park Drive hoping for some early warblers and others, but it was fairly quiet. Birds heard along the way included a gobbling Wild Turkey among the Blue Jays, Ovenbirds, and a couple Louisiana Waterthrushes. It wasn't until I got to the parking lot at the barricades that I finally hit a nice patch of birds. I counted 14 Yellow-rumped Warblers plus Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green and Chestnut-sided Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. There was also a quick 'fly-by' of a Common Loon where I was lucky to get the photos that I did before it disappeared behind the trees.
'Stop 2' was Bear Swamp. I walked the boardwalk where I had a singing Northern Waterthrush.
My next stop was at adjacent Lake Minsi, which produced 4 Pied-billed Grebes, 2 Double-crested Cormorants, 2 Osprey, a Pileated Woodpecker, 2 Eastern Bluebirds, and a Yellow Warbler. I also took some time photographing the Purple Martins and the Tree Swallows at the east parking lot and got some fairly nice shots.
'Stop 4' was East Bangor Dam. There, I had Mute Swan, Wood Duck, Double-crested Cormorant, Swamp Sparrow, and Yellow Warbler.
'Stop 5' was E. Best Road in Moore Township where I had Red-headed Woodpecker and a distant Bald Eagle.
During a slow drive down nearby Schlegel Road, I was able to spot 3 Horned Larks. One perched atop the corn stubble long enough for me to get a photo of it with its 'horns' extended.
I headed south through Bath and checked out the Regency Boulevard ponds. The notable ducks had all moved on. I saw a Lesser Yellowlegs, a Spotted Sandpiper, and a Killdeer chick being watched by the parents.
A Savannah Sparrow was singing in the plowed field, and several Brown-headed Cowbirds were perched along the fence.
The Newburg Park retention pond held 2 Spotted Sandpipers, 3 Least Sandpipers, 2 Killdeer, and an American Pipit.
Nearby, the Common Gallinule that I found back on the 19th continued in the smaller Trio Farms Boulevard retention pond, which was formerly known as the Gremar Road ponds.
My last stop was Green Pond where I found a Spotted Sandpiper, a Solitary Sandpiper, 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers, and a very cooperative Belted Kingfisher.
