I will be leading a photo walk for the Etna Library to the King Bird Sanctuary at the Hayes Farm Park in Etna, NH next Wednesday May 23 at 3 pm. It is open to all ages and even those with binoculars rather than a camera. For those with cameras, I will be happy to answer questions or give suggestions, if asked.
Parking is at the Hanover Town Library (aka the Etna Library) or just to the north behind the fire station. The hike to the King Bird Sanctuary through blooming crabapples is short, with a few hills.
To prepare for this photo walk, I made several trips to the King Bird Sanctuary over the last two weeks. Here are some of the photos I took.
Yellow-rumped Warblers passed through in considerable numbers two weeks ago. I’m not sure if there are any still around.
A House Wren captured and swallowed a daddy-long-legs. It is hard to see due to the clutter on the ground, but here is the action.
Here are a few more photos of the noisy House Wren.
Another small brownish bird made a brief appearance, a female Ruby-crowned Kinglet. It was likely migrating through.
Then yet another brownish bird, but with much more patterning, a Song Sparrow.
There also was a much larger brown bird in Etna, a Broad-winged Hawk.
A Black-and-White Warbler made a brief appearance.
Sticking with the gray theme, a Gray Catbird appeared.
A few more brownish birds will follow (care to guess the species?) before we get to colorful warblers. But first a brief respite with a view of an Etna hillside in early spring from the King Bird Sanctuary, flowers near the entrance to the Hayes Farm Park, and a Tree Swallow guarding its box.
As promised here come two more brownish birds. The first is an Ovenbird.
And the second is an elusive and fast-moving Brown Creeper.
One of the easiest to find species in this area is the beautiful Chestnut-sided Warbler. Last year the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Calendar published one of my favorite photos, a Chestnut-sided Warbler surrounded by the blooming crabapples here. An acrylic print of it is hanging at the Hanover Conservancy offices. Regrettably, the calendar credited it to another photographer.
A Black-throated Green Warbler came out of the forest to capture and eat a caterpillar.
It retreated to the edge of the woods before returning to the field.
Here are a few more photos of this colorful bird.
Speaking of colorful birds, a Blackburnian Warbler made an appearance.
I managed to photograph a Common Yellowthroat with a crab spider.
I close with a few more photos of the Common Yellowthroat taken two days ago. As you can see the crabapples are starting to bloom.
Perhaps I will see some of you at the King Bird Sanctuary Wednesday, with or without a camera. Even just birders are welcome to join this photo walk.