Upper Mount Bethel Township Birding ~ April 14, 2026

I spent the morning birding at sites in Upper Mount Bethel Township. My first stop was Bear Swamp where I found 2 Barred Owls, a Northern House Wren, an Eastern Bluebird, a Hermit Thrush, a Swamp Sparrow, 5 Rusty Blackbirds, a Palm Warbler, and 3 Louisiana Waterthrushes.

Barred Owl

Rusty Blackbirds

Palm Warbler

At nearby Lake Minsi, the Purple Martins have begun to show up. I counted 21 birds, only one of them a female.

Purple Martins

Also there were a Ring-billed Gull, 11 Double-crested Cormorants, a Sharp-shinned Hawk, an immature Bald Eagle, a Pileated Woodpecker, and 15 Tree Swallows.

Just up the road at the Totts Gap Conservation Area, I saw a pair of American Kestrels and a distant Eastern Meadowlark.

Eastern Meadowlark

At East Bangor Dam, there was a Wood Duck, a Wilson's Snipe, a Cooper's Hawk, one Tree Swallow, a Brown Thrasher, and a Virginia Rail that called one time.

Brown Thrasher

Next, I checked out the Martins Creek Environmental Preserve, which held 55 Buffleheads.

Two Green-winged Teal, a Killdeer, and 3 Northern Rough-winged Swallows were present at the Hollo Road retention pond; and a Great Blue Heron and a Killdeer were at the Newburg Road retention pond.

Lastly at Green Pond, I found 42 lingering Snow Geese, 67 Canada Geese, 8 Mallards, a Northern Flicker, a Northern Rough-winged Swallow, and an Eastern Bluebird.

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