Great
Adirondack Birding Celebration
Beginning Birder Workshop
1 June 2013
Adirondack Birding Center Director Brian McAllister led a Beginning Birder Workshop on 1 June 2013. The workshop was part of the 2013 Great Adirondack Birding Celebration. The event began at 7:00 AM, when we met at the Paul Smiths VIC building, for an introductory briefing covering birding guides, optics, and the art of recognizing bird sounds. Then we headed out for a field trip which included a walk on the Boreal Life Trail and the Barnum Brook Trail. We saw or heard a total of 34 species. Highlights of the four-hour walk included some excellent views of an Ovenbird (often heard but seldom seen) near the VIC parking lot -- always a birding hot spot. We also had some good views of a Palm Warbler on Barnum Bog. Toward the end of the walk, we were treated to the unusual sight of a group of four American Bitterns, repeatedly circling Heron Marsh, then flying up again, then settling back down again in the vegetation.
In the parking lot and near the VIC building, we saw or heard the following birds:
On the Boreal Life Trail, we saw or heard the following birds:
On the Barnum Brook Trail, we saw or heard the following birds:
We
also observed the following wildflowers and flowering shrubs in bloom, including:
| Clintonia | Canada Mayflower |
| Wild Sarsaparilla | Starflower |
| Buckbean | Bunchberry |
| Bog Laurel | Labrador Tea |
| Pink Lady's Slipper |