Rauscher Farm Conservation Area (Report from May 2nd)

With a “rain delay” of an hour, 12 determined birders set out in raincoats to see what birds had braved the prevailing northerly winds of this early spring to actually arrive by May 2. After. Blessedly brief rain shower, the weather improved and allowed for a productive morning. The highlight for many was a glimpse of a Virginia Rail. Everyone saw the Blue-winged Warbler. We also saw that the Canada Goose nest that had been on the beaver lodge was vacant, because all the eggs had hatched and the adults had moved the goslings to the adjacent shore. We managed 50 species in all.

1. Canada Goose 11

2. Wood Duck 2

3. Mallard 1

4. Mourning Dove 2

5. Virginia Rail 1

6. Double-crested Cormorant 1

7. Great Blue Heron 1

8. Turkey Vulture 7

9. Barred Owl 1

10. Red-bellied Woodpecker 3

11. Downy Woodpecker 3

12. Pileated Woodpecker 1

13. Northern Flicker 1

14. Eastern Phoebe 3

15. Blue-headed Vireo 1

16. Eastern Warbling Vireo 1

17. Blue Jay 20

18. American Crow 2

19. Common Raven 1

20. Black-capped Chickadee 4

21. Tufted Titmouse 5

22. Tree Swallow 2

23. White-breasted Nuthatch 3

24. Brown Creeper 2

25. Northern House Wren 2

26. European Starling 1

27. Gray Catbird 3

28. Eastern Bluebird 1

29. Wood Thrush 1

30. American Robin 5

31. House Sparrow 1

32. House Finch 1

33. American Goldfinch 4

34. Chipping Sparrow 1

35. Field Sparrow 1

36. White-throated Sparrow 5

37. Song Sparrow 3

38. Eastern Towhee 4

39. Baltimore Oriole 5

40. Red-winged Blackbird 8

41. Brown-headed Cowbird 3

42. Common Grackle 1

43. Ovenbird 3

44. Blue-winged Warbler 2

45. Black-and-white Warbler 4

46. Northern Yellow Warbler 2

47. Pine Warbler 3

48. Yellow-rumped Warbler 20

49. Northern Cardinal 4

50. Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3