My Back is Back, and I'm Back to Birding

Lily Lake at Chenango Valley SP

 After I returned from Alaska I had a sore back which I attributed to trying to sleep on a long plane trip.  Whatever the problem was, it got worse when I ruptured a disc in the lumbar area.  Dang!  That hurt!  But I'm getting around pretty well now and I've been itching to get back on the birding trail.  I got that chance yesterday, and I jumped at it.

I'm visiting family in Scranton, PA.  I like to hit new places when I can, so I decided to drive up to a state park near Binghamton, NY.  Chenango Valley State Park turned out to be a real gem.  It's a beautiful, family-friendly park with loads of birding trails.  Some are very easy walking; others are more challenging; all are gorgeous.

Green Heron

I started by walking around Lily Lake on a trail that proved to be narrow, uneven, and gorgeous.  I was surprised that there were no ducks on the lake.  It looks good for dabblers, but none were to be found.  I looked for a Swamp Sparrow at the water's edge, but a Song Sparrow popped up.  A Green Heron flew out of some reeds and lit on a branch just above the water.  Then I was swarmed by Black-capped Chickadees, Tufted Titmice, Red-eyed Vireos, a male Blackburnian Warbler and what I'm fairly sure was a Warbling Vireo.  I've only seen this species once, so I needed time to look at the field guides on my phone.  Still, I'm pretty sure I'm right.  If any of you are from the area, you can correct me if this is an unexpected species.

White-breasted Nuthatch climbing head first down a tree

The Lily Lake Trail seemed to disappear, and I found myself standing on what I think was the 12th fairway of the park's golf course.  I hustled around the area and found myself on a driving range.  Still, the lake was on my left, so I kept going.  Eventually I ended up back where I had started, but I never did find where the trail went.  Undaunted, I picked out another trail, this one labeled with an "S".  This one was much less challenging than the Lily Lake Trail.  It was wide, fairly smooth and well maintained.  At the junction of where the trail crossed another (labeled BE), I was swarmed by another mixed feeding flock.  This time the chickadees and titmice were joined by an American Redstart, what looked like a newly fledged Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Hermit Thrush, an Eastern Wood Pewee, and a whole bunch of White-breasted Nuthatches.  I loved watching the nuthatches run down tree trunks, hang upside down on branches, and generally have a great time - all while honking away, sounding like little clown horns.  Nuthatches love life!

Red-eyed Vireo

Next  I drove over to the public beach on Chenango Lake.  I walked around a bit, but found only a flycatcher that was just too distant for me to ID.  My guess from the habitat was Willow, but that's just as likely to be wrong.

It was time to go, so I headed out of the park with only 18 species!  I had to hit 20; I just had to ... Fortunately, New York birds know how to hang out on wires (unlike Alaskan birds).  Along SR 369 I found some Eastern Bluebirds and a Mourning Dove.  Twenty species was not great, but it was enough to make me feel like I had actually done some birding.

It's back to Florida tomorrow, and back to the birding trail more regularly.

By the way, do you have any comments you'd like to make?  At the bottom of each blog should be a line that says "Add a Comment".  Click on it and you can write your thoughts on anything I've written.  Have at it!

Chenango Lake

I love reading signs that highlight local history!