Spring Rite - Concord's Annual Bird Walk

Birdwatcher's enjoying the view in Peggy Brace's yard

Concord's Annual Bird Walk has been a spring tradition for many decades.  Today we gathered in the chill morning air with our master of ceremonies Peter Alden -- prepared to meet the dawn chorus with eager ears and binoculars at the ready.

At her invitation, we stopped first to visit Peggy Brace to share in her delightful backyard menagerie of bird houses and hatchlings.  For many years, Peggy has hosted wonderful post-walk breakfasts along with her husband Bill, who sadly passed away just a week ago.

Peggy opens one of her many bluebird houses, while the returning
mother bird waits patiently in a nearby tree.

Day old bluebird hatchling with two siblings still in shell

Between the Brace's yardbirds and forays into the Estabrook Woods, from both the east and west entrances, an impressive array of spring birds were seen and heard.  Some notables included scarlet tanagers, an indigo bunting, a flock of rose-breasted grosbeaks, redstarts, black-billed cuckoo, a pileated woodpecker, kingbirds and a great crested flycatcher, wood thrushes, oven birds, a great-blue heron and numerous returning and migrating warblers (black-throated greens and blues, parula, chestnut-sided, blue winged, black-and-white, yellow rumped, magnolia, yellow, yellowthroat), bluebird and chickadee babies, and many more.

An exquisite day to share in the wildness of this place!

Dew diamonds