A crowd of around a dozen stands on a wooden boardwalk surrounded by marsh vegetation and willows, a lake and mountains can be seen in the distance under blue skies.

Only one weekend left for free bird walks at County Park and Lundy Canyon

This post was written by Krista Fanucchi, 2019 Birding Intern.

As I reflect on the weekly County Park and Lundy Canyon bird walks from this past season, it is difficult to distill all the feathered moments into a few short paragraphs that convey what a wonderful experience it all has been. Join us this weekend for the last free bird walks of the season!

This season has quite literally “flown” by, and has left me in a daze from all the twisting phalarope flocks and the seasonal changes in the local bird populations. I felt the peak of the dawn chorus earlier in the breeding season as a fleeting moment, as it now truly feels like we have entered the foraging frenzy as birds get ready for their fall migration.

It was a highlight during the breeding season to see many beautifully-woven Bullock’s Oriole pendant nests, and the tightly-bound fibers of the Western Wood-Pewee nests. During the last few weeks, it has been great to see more flocking, feeding, and fledging from some of the local breeders. This time of year, it is also possible to have migrants show up that bred in different habitats or in more northern latitudes.

The bittersweet news is that this weekend is the last weekend for free bird walks at County Park and Lundy Canyon! Please join us at 8:00am at County Park this Friday and Sunday, and Saturday at Lundy Canyon. Sign up to join us here, or meet us at the County Park parking lot on Friday and Sunday, or in front of the Lundy Lake Resort on Saturday. Bring sunscreen, plenty of water, a hat, and binoculars (if you have them). All experience levels are welcome!

Top photo by Elin Ljung.