Sterling Forest State Park with Tod Winston, 5/25/2025
Registrar: Lisa Kroop
Participants: 8
Weather: 51°F–57°F, clear with some clouds; 8 mph NW
Bird Species: 60
Birds were singing all around us as we gathered at the trailhead on the cul-de-sac of Ironwood Drive for our walk along the powerline in Sterling Forest State Park. The loudest was a Scarlet Tanager, and filling in between its songs were those of other birds, including Yellow Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Ovenbird, Field Sparrow, Indigo Bunting, and a Blue-winged Warbler, with its buzzy trill.
We soon had our first sightings: a Blue-winged Warbler in the low shrubs; a Yellow Warbler, its bright plumage highlighted against the dense foliage of a nearby tree; an Indigo Bunting perched on a bare branch of a distant tree; and an Eastern Kingbird in the same vicinity as the bunting— sallying and displaying the white of its tail.
We proceeded to walk along the power line cut, starting in the southern section. Earlier, a few of us had seen a pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos fly across the cut, and the group climbed the trail hoping to find them. We heard them calling as we walked, but didn’t manage to see them. We saw a flock of Cedar Waxwings flying overhead—the first of several flocks we spotted during the morning. Pausing at a high point, we observed a juvenile Red-shouldered Hawk flying in the distance, and a couple of participants saw a Common Nighthawk pass over and beyond the tree line.
We turned around and headed toward the northern section of the power line, accompanied by the continuing tunes of Prairie Warblers and Field Sparrows, among many other birds. Despite hearing their songs, it took a while before we were actually able to see any of them, but we eventually did, and with very good views. Tod picked up the song of a Louisiana Waterthrush and we pursued it along a side trail that veered into the woods. We didn’t find the waterthrush, but we heard a Worm-eating Warbler and found it at eye-level in a tree, and saw an Ovenbird close to us on the opposite side of the path.
Returning to the rocky power cut trail, we met a man who excitedly told us that he had just seen a bobcat, and showed us a beautiful photo. As we continued up the trail, we heard two Scarlet Tanagers singing back and forth, one high in a dead tree and the second much closer to us, perched in a low tree—we could see and hear both of them from the spot where we had paused along the trail.
We met some other birders, who told us about an active Prairie Warbler nest. It took a bit to find it, but when we did, we also saw the protective mother in a tree nearby. Not surprisingly, we didn’t spot the bobcat.
After we turned around and headed back down the trail, a Pileated Woodpecker flew across the power cut in front of us, a Broad-winged Hawk flew across the cut behind us, and we observed a Ruby-throated Hummingbird perched on a bare branch ahead of us—one of two hummingbirds of the day. Near the bottom of the trail we heard another Worm-eating Warbler and spotted it perched on top of a horizontal branch, to the delight of all.
Cerulean Warbler and Hooded Warbler were the final highlights. As we passed through the patch of woods on our way back to the cars, some of the group heard a Cerulean and caught a glimpse of it as it was chased out of the nesting territory of a pair of American Redstarts, a ruckus which we all saw and marveled at. Hearing the Hooded Warbler from our cars as we drove away on Ironwood Drive, we stopped and walked down the trail to track it down. Persistence paid off, with a measure of good luck, and all were able to get their eyes on the bird.
While this power cut location is known for Golden-winged Warblers, the species hasn’t been reported this year, and we did not come upon one, or any of its hybrids. Instead we focused on all the other birds, saw and heard many, enjoyed the cool weather, the good company, and a fantastic leader. Many thanks Tod!
Species List
Canada Goose
Wood Duck
Mallard
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-thorated Hummingbird
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Blue Heron
Turkey Vulture
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Eastern Phoebe
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
Yellow-throated Vireo (h)
Warbling Vireo (h)
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
corvid sp.
Black-capped Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Tree Swallow
Barn Swallow
White-breasted Nuthatch
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern House Wren
Carolina Wren
Gray Catbird
American Robin
Cedar Waxwing
American Goldfinch
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Eastern Towhee
Baltimore Oriole
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Common Grackle
Ovenbird
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush (h)
Blue-winged Warbler
Black-and-white Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
American Redstart
Cerulean Warbler
Magnolia Warbler
Yellow Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler
Pine Warbler
Prairie Warbler
Scarlet Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Rose-breasted Grosbeak (h)
Indigo Bunting
