Dewey Mills Pond

Tuesday  August 20 Dewy Mills Pond

Birded the trail from parking lot to dam early this morning. American Goldfinch very vocal and very visible. As late nesters, they are taking advantage of all the composite seeds for feeding young ones.

American Goldfinch

American Goldfinch

Song Sparrow was the next most common, still singing with an occasional bark thrown in. The Catbird wasn’t to be outdone, so he also called from numerous locations. I pished up House Wren, 4 Common Yellowthroat, Black-and-white Warbler, and American Redstart.

Common Yellowthroat

House Wren was here when I snapped the shutter

 Red-winged Blackbird occupied the cattails on the island and Great Blue Heron flew lazily up the Ottauquechee River the parallels the pond before tumbling over the dam and into the gorge.
Eastern Kingbird, Eastern  Phoebe,  Eastern Wood Pewee, and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker rounded out all the visual sightings. As we walked near the head-high cattails, an unidentified rail rattled alarmingly. The closest I can come to matching the sound is the King Rail. I know the Sora and Virginia Rail sounds well and I’m pretty well convinced neither one was our hidden culprit.

A hot air balloon, AKA Quechee Gorge Dragon, did a “splash and dash” where the basket actually touches the surface of the pond, supposedly a good luck gesture.

Back at the parking lot, I snagged some dragons - Widow Skimmer and Halloween Pennant. When I have my camera handy, the dragons never sit still, leave the camera and home and they sit for an eternity.

Pileated Woodpecker called from across the river.