I led a Lehigh Valley Audubon Society bird walk at the Martins Creek Nature Trail. It had rained the night before. The weatherman predicted there would be a break in the rain in the morning, and it turned out to be just long enough to get the walk in. I was hoping the weather would ground some migrants, but it was pretty quiet. We did end up with 40 species that included Common Merganser, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Northern Flicker, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed and Warbling Vireo, Tree Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Goldfinch, White-throated and Field Sparrow, Baltimore and Orchard Oriole, Indigo Bunting, and warblers that included Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, and Blue-winged, Black-and-white, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warbler.
The best sighting of the day was a group of 17 Lesser Black-backed Gulls that were seen flying upriver. I got a long enough look at these birds to determine that they were Lessers by the dark underwings and tail bands and size and shape. Most, if not all of them were young birds. They steadily flew upriver and got behind the trees before I could even try to attempt a photo.
After the walk, I headed over to the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve. A lingering Snow Goose, 2 Green-winged Teal, and a Double-crested Cormorant were present.
Now raining, I stopped to check the Nazareth Quarry for any 'fallout' birds, but there were only 4 Double-crested Cormorants and a Ruddy Duck there.
Five Solitary Sandpipers were feeding in the grassy Newburg Road retention pond next to Koch Toyota.
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