Date: 4/5/26 1:04 pm From: Carole Winslow <cjwinslow94...> Subject: Forest and Warren Co- northern shrike, Bonaparte's gulls and hermits
It was a good Easter weekend of birding, starting with a Penn State Ext wetlands birdwalk at Buzzard Swamp where we surprisingly found a northern shrike still hanging out this late in spring. Our guide Melinda was luckily able to get a photo before we lost it in the scrubby field beside the first pond, so still in Forest Co. There was a pretty good selection of waterfowl with both teal and horned and pied-billed grebes. A nice raptor show with kestrels, an osprey pair at the nest already carrying nesting material, while being attacked by an adult and two young bald eagles.
Today with the cold, gray morning we just went for a short trip up on the ridge above the Allegheny at Tidioute, so Warren Co. As we crossed the bridge I discovered a large flock of Bonaparte's gulls on the river and flying around, along with bufflehead, mergs and scaup. I estimated at least 75, some with almost full hoods visible. I assume the bad weather yesterday and earlier today put them down, a couple hours later as we came back through they were gone. On the walk a harrier was flying along the ridge and then came over us, quite a surprise for this location. I also found a group of hermit thrush hanging out together in a big downed oak on the power cut, with another one calling further up the trail. So wonderful to see the thrushes back for the summer, a welcome sight after this past winter. Brown creepers were singing and sapsuckers were drumming, calling and fighting, ready for another breeding season.
