Thursday, November 11, 2021

Checklist of The Day 1: Lancaster County Park

Autumn woods—Lancaster County Central Park, PA
Lancaster County Central Park, PA — leaf-rustle and robin chatter
Ornitherapy field adventures
Today, I ventured out to Lancaster County Central Park to get my ornitherapy fix for the week. South of Lancaster City, PA, it made grabbing vegan food at a climate-conscious spot afterwards a must. Fourteen species showed themselves—the most numerous a flock of six American Robins, flicking from tree to tree with a constant rustle of leaves.

Carolina Chickadees, a Downy Woodpecker, and the wistful song of a White-throated Sparrow filled the autumn deciduous forest with vibrance. Most notable was a Carolina Wren, dipping in and out of a gnarled knob on a dead tree. The loud calls of a Pileated Woodpecker echoed the recent news of the official extinction of the Ivory-billed.

I walked along the Conestoga River but didn’t spot a Great Blue Heron wading the shallows. I hope to see one soon. I dream of Steller’s Jays, Sandhill Cranes, and better days.
Sketch of wren from 2022

3 comments:

  1. That is a wonderful picture of the Carolina Wren. I wish that it could be enlarged to see the detail. Surely the actual picture has a better resolution than what is on display here?

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  2. Wow, that is a delightful photo! And from the sounds of it a nice day too. I hope you have more luck searching for a Heron soon too!

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  3. So many wonderful species of birds throughout the northeast. You have found so many of them. I’m always interested in what you discover on you adventures.

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