A Wet, Drippy Morning

The day was misty and overcast as Wren and I set out toward Silver Lake Bog - a Nature Conservancy owned parcel near the Franklin-Clinton county line - and the sky opened up occasionally to produce light rain as we drove. That was fine with me - the wet conditions would keep things cooler which often means the birds will remain more active. After all, July marks a downward turn in the amount of song, often making it more difficult to find species of interest.

We stopped briefly along Alder Brook Park Road to listen to a Swainson's Thrush sing and to watch a Broad-winged Hawk in the rain posted like a sentinel on a dead snag in a wetland. It was still sprinkling when we reached the trailhead, and we set off along the boardwalk into the bog with birds singing on all sides - the rain seemed to be upholding its promise for more bird activity. I kept my binoculars dry beneath my raincoat and I began to quickly tally a list that included Blue-headed Vireo, Hermit Thrush, Veery, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Common Yellowthroat, and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher.

Warblers and Finches

I stopped to look for a Canada Warbler which was singing from low in the wet thicket, when a nearby Nashville Warbler caught my attention. I changed my focus to the Nashville, but the birds - and the rain - proved tricky for any photos of anything that morning. And so Wren and I stood quietly beneath the sprinkling sky along an open length of the trail, watching and listening.

Purple Finches flew overhead and their calls were interrupted by the flight calls of Red Crossbills as they undulated away. Then I heard more crossbills and spotted a male and female in a low snag - they too quickly took to flight. With cones piled up on many of our conifers, both species of crossbills have been getting spotted across the region in recent weeks and I was happy to add to this total. I stood and waited for the crossbills to reappear, but I found mostly Purple Finches after that.

The View from the Bluffs

We eventually continued on, reaching the end of the boardwalk where the trail to the bluffs overlooking Silver Lake rises. No doubt thanks in large part to our recent rains, the trail was muddy and flooded in places, but it was easy to skirt these places. We were planning on exploring off-trail a bit anyway, which we did on our return trip from the bluffs. We enjoyed the misty view from the bluffs, as the sun came and went from behind the gray clouds, adding Scarlet Tanager and - to my surprise given the habitat - Black-backed Woodpecker at the viewpoint. I would much more likely expect a Black-backed in the bog itself and this bird had taken a short trip out of it usual habitat to forage. Perhaps like us it was on summer vacation.

For the most part the hike through the deciduous woods - whether on-trail or off-trail - was quiet and here and there a singing Ovenbird, Winter Wren, Red-eyed Vireo, Hermit Thrush, or Black-throated Green Warbler broke the drippy silence. We added another Swainson's Thrush and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker as we wandered as well.

After returning to the car, I decided to take a route home along Forestdale Road, a narrow, paved, seldom-traveled road which passes through state land and forest habitat as its name suggests. While the day had become quieter than it had been, we listened to Red-eyed and Blue-headed Vireos, American Redstarts, Winter Wrens, and Black-and-white Warblers as we slowly made our way along the road.

Some of the most alluring places along the route are the wetlands which mark your progress, and I stopped at a few of them, finding Swamp Sparrows, Song Sparrows, Common Grackles, Common Yellowthroats, and in one place a Northern Waterthrush. Of even more interest, one pull-off surrounded by young forest and blackberry thickets yielded a scolding female Mourning Warbler, but I couldn't decipher if she was agitated because she had fledged young in the vicinity or not. I chose not to pester her any longer and we continued home.

Summer birding is great all across the North Country. Don't miss your chance to explore today - and check out our dining and lodging pages to help you plan your trip.