More Breeding Bird Atlas Birding ~ June 4, 2026

One of my Breeding Bird Atlas blocks includes the St. Luke's Anderson Campus area and the Route 33 Boat Launch area, so I spent the morning birding those two areas. I started at the St. Luke's Anderson pond and walking path where I tallied 39 species including a couple Willow Flycatchers.

Willow Flycatcher

There were at least seven Purple Martins at the Purple Martin tower. One of them was seen taking a leaf into one of the gourds to line the nest.

Purple Martin

One of the Cedar Waxwings present was also seen carrying nesting material.

Cedar Waxwing

There were several Chipping Sparrows in and among the evergreens along the path. One of them was this juvenile.

A juvenile Chipping Sparrow.

Also found there were Killdeer, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo, Northern Rough-winged, Tree, and Barn Swallow, Northern House Wren, Carolina Wren, Northern Mockingbird, Eastern Bluebird, Wood Thrush, American Goldfinch, Field Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole, Red-winged Blackbird, American Redstart, Northern Yellow Warbler, and Indigo Bunting.

I then crossed over Route 33 and birded down Hope Road where I found Great Crested and Willow Flycatcher, American Goldfinch, Common Yellowthroat, Northern Yellow Warbler, and Indigo Bunting.

Willow Flycatcher

The area around the boat launch produced Northern Flicker, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Warbling Vireo, Tree, Barn, and Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Northern House Wren, Carolina Wren, Gray Catbird, Wood Thrush, Baltimore Oriole, and American Redstart.

I went up to the Tatamy Exit retention pond. It is now almost all dried up, but it still held 3 Killdeer, and 4 Spotted Sandpipers, including the two little "puff ball" fledglings.

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