Upper Mount Bethel Township and Semipalmated Plovers ~ May 31, 2026

I made another effort to find a Gray-cheeked Thrush or a Yellow-bellied Flycatcher in Upper Mount Bethel Township. I started at Bear Swamp where I found Red-shouldered Hawk, Pileated Woodpecker, Acadian Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Tree Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, Veery, Chipping Sparrow, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, and Scarlet Tanager.

I then went down National Park Drive, which produced Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Louisiana Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Hooded Warbler, and Scarlet Tanager.

The Arrow Island Overlook section held Eastern Wood-Pewee, Red-eyed Vireo, Veery, Wood Thrush, Cedar Waxwing, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart, and Indigo Bunting, but there was still no luck with the target birds.

I left the township and drove down to the The Tatamy Exit retention pond. There, I found 4 Killdeer, a nice total of 5 Semipalmated Plovers, and 2 Least Sandpipers.

Semipalmated Plovers

There was another Semipalmated Plover over at the Hollo Road retention pond along with 2 Spotted Sandpipers, a Tree and 3 Barn Swallows among a dozen Northern Rough-winged Swallows, plus a 'fly-by' Osprey that was probably heading to the nest along the Nazareth-Tatamy Road.

Semipalmated Plover

Green Pond held 18 lingering Snow Geese, a Chimney Swift, 4 Killdeer, 5 Spotted Sandpipers, 3 Great Blue and 2 Green Herons, and Northern Rough-winged and Tree Swallows, plus one European Starling in its light brown juvenal plumage.

A European Starling in juvenal plumage.

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