Marsh birds and a bobwhite

Great Blue Heron nest, Lake Wallace, July 13, 2013

This morning turned out to be the coldest one we have had in weeks when the temperature was 'only' 68 degrees to start and cooled down to 65 when it started raining lightly.  The humidity was a bit lower also so it was much more comfortable to be outside.  It turned out to be a good marsh bird morning despite the occasional rain and chill!  I started out at Lake Wallace where I had a continued Sora as well as the Great Blue Heron family still in the lone nest there.  The number of Wood Ducks was reduced from previous visits but they were likely still around but just hidden in the marsh grasses.

March view, Covey WMA, July 13, 2013

I then headed over to Covey WMA and had a flyby American Bittern, a calling Virginia Rail and a Green Heron.  There were swallows feeding low over one of the marshes with decent numbers of Barn and Tree Swallows but not huge numbers yet.  Lots of other typical resident birds but one of the first signs of the end of breeding season has arrived as the Yellow Warblers have gone silent the last week or so.

I finally added a new species to my Hampshire county list for the year today when I had a calling Northern Bobwhite at Covey WMA.  I was never able to get a look at the bird but the tall grasses and dense brush makes viewing anything difficult this time of year.  Certainly a stocked bird but still fun to find.  The Northern Bobwhite becomes species #213 for the county this year.  This is the first new species I have found in the county since June 9.  I would expect to start adding a few more as the fall migration season continues to pick up (yes, it starts in July!)