Buttonwood Nature Center

4 days ago

Buttonwood Nature Center friend and SOAR (Studying Ornithology Around the Region) bird walker, Jean McBride submitted the following narrative from the group’s outing on Saturday, October 19 to Buttonwood Nature Center.

Twice-monthly walks, usually led by Larry and Sharon Williams, run on the first and third Saturdays all year long. They run from 8 a.m. to around 10 a.m.

SOAR bird walk locations vary throughout the season. Check our website calendar for locations on specific dates. (www.buttonwoodnaturecenter.org) and tab down under Programs or Events)

Jean photographed some of the walkers peering into the tree tops. This Mourning Dove photo was not taken at Buttonwood but is a good example of the many birds spotted there.

The next SOAR walk is Saturday, November 2 at Conococheague Institute. All are welcome!

Jean’s Report:

Cold, clear and sunny weather set the stage for our SOAR walk at Buttonwood Nature Center on Saturday, October 19, 2024. Larry and Sharon Williams’ multi-layered crew of Lisa, Ian, Jeff, Joan, Mike and I were joined by Executive Director Tracy Holliday.

The Center’s varied terrain and water features boded well for our trek. A flock of geese honked for several minutes as they settled onto the pond out of sight. A hawk perched in plain sight displaying its back and profile to us—but the sun was behind it, and we couldn’t identify it. Ian did ID a Sharp-shinned Hawk that quickly flew by us toward the stream.

White-throated Sparrows dotted the bushes by the stream. We heard the call of the kingfisher. We saw a magnificent view of a Great Blue Heron as it traversed the field and landed on its favorite perch (according to Tracy). Ravens called and then two flew overhead. Tiny Golden-crowned Kinglets dotted the trees with a lone Blue-headed Vireo perched nearby. The sun illuminated a bluebird at the top of a tall tree.

As we returned from the path by the stream and turned the corner by the pond, Ian spotted a lone Green-winged Teal. It was the only teal; but it was not alone, as the Mallards comfortably assimilated it into their group. The much smaller bird was easy to spot, but its green wing was not—until on our return trip, when it graciously flew a few feet, revealing the green.

We had accumulated a list of 39 species spotted by the time we reached the hill. Therefore, Larry only requested one more bird to complete our morning’s work. Not as easy as it would seem. Our Merlin app was reporting several birds that we hadn't seen or heard, but we couldn’t find them. At the top of the hill we took the high road along the ridge. We saw an abundance of White-throated Sparrows in nearly every bush. Sharon requested that we find a Hermit Thrush and that it make its call. By the end of the path, the Merlin app had heard the thrush. But our efforts to find or hear it went unrewarded.

At the last moment Tracy spotted a Mourning Dove to hit the desired 40 species. Pressure off, it was easy to add another as we strolled to our cars—a Northern Flicker. The remaining birders parted, with most heading to Buttonwood’s Pumpkins and Pippins Festival.

Our next walk will be November 2 at the Conococheague Institute.
—Jean

Larry' list:
American Crow
American Goldfinch
American Robin
Belted Kingfisher
Black Vulture
Blue Jay
Blue-headed Vireo
Brown Creeper
Brown-headed Cowbird
Canada Goose
Carolina Wren
Carolina/BC Chickadee
Common Grackle
Common Raven
Dark-eyed Junco
Downy Woodpecker
Eastern Phoebe
European Starling
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Great-blue Heron
Green-winged Teal
Grey Catbird
House Finch
House Wren
Killdeer
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Northern Cardinal
Northern Flicker
Northern Mockingbird
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rock Pigeon
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Song Sparrow
Tufted Titmouse
Turkey Vulture
White-breasted Nuthatch
White-throated Sparrow
Yellow-rumped Warbler ... See MoreSee Less

Buttonwood Nature Center

6 days ago

Congratulations Tenley Mae - for winning the Inside Out basket from our fall fundraiser raffle on Saturday! 🥰🐱📚 ... See MoreSee Less