Clinton Co / Maple R on 27 APR

[Dmcwhir513 at aol.com]

Folks -

Gorgeous morning to be out and about.  Pat Deventer and I checked Sleepy 
Hollow, Maple River east units (management area), Maple River roads along river 
west of 127, and Maple River at the north end of Hinman Road in Clinton Co..

Sleepy Hollow had a ton of calling field / shrub birds this morning - namely 
towhee, Field Sparrow, House Wren, and Yellow Warbler. Good birds included 
Great Crested Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Baltimore Oriole, American Pipit, and 
catbird

Lots of sound at Maple River, too.  Met two other birders along the dike.  
Unit D still has a good bit of water and had a decent group of ducks and 
shorebirds.  At one point they spooked and wheeled past us allowing some IDs we 
weren't making at a distance. Best birds in the east units included 110 
Green-winged Teal, 10+ Northern Shoveler, calling Sora and Virginia Rail, Greater and 
Lesser Yellowleg, Pectoral and  Least Sandpipers, Chimney Swift, White-crowned 
Sparrow, and lots of singing Swamp Sparrows.

There was a Solitary Sandpiper at State Rd bridge and Maple Road had a 
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher in with a group of chickadee and kinglet.

The walk at the north end of Hinman Rd was very nice, with some patches of 
spring flowers and 6-7 Spring Azures. If you are up that way, it's worth 
checking out before mosquitoes hit.  We had a calling Winter Wren and Northern 
Waterthrush, another gnatcatcher, and the brightest White-throated Sparrow we've 
ever seen.

Add in the spring colors and is was an excellent outing.   - Doug



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