Trip Report by Thomas Plath

The few participants that did show on this sunny Tuesday morning were rewarded with a few sought after open-country bird species. From the foot of 72^nd Street we walked westward along the dike towards 64^th Street. A few very early immature Barn Swallows foraged overhead and we soon came across a small flock of Western Meadowlarks foraging in the tidal marsh. An immature Northern Shrike perched characteristically on top of a large shrub was viewed through the scope. Raptors were scarce; however, on the return trip a young Cooper’s Hawk, perched low in a bush beside the dike, gave us nice looks. Western Meadowlarks were heard singing and luck was with us as the wintering American Tree Sparrow, flew in and landed briefly in a shrub beside the dike. This pretty northern sparrow was an added bonus to a very nice morning’s walk.