What a terrific way to begin a day - birding in Lilydale Park! Happily, we ignored ominous weather forecasts predicting 80% chance of rain. We stayed dry & enjoyed wonderful conditions. Many thanks to Saint Paul Audubon guides, Val Cunningham & Clay Christensen! We learned a lot from Val, Clay & other avid birders with us.
Val & Clay said 20-25% of the birds we witnessed will nest in the area; the rest are passing thru, heading to the Boundary Waters, Canada & other parts north.
Consensus was the blue gray gnatcatchers were the bird of the morning - present in good numbers! Curious to see what they look like (and / or others on the list) - we recommend Google Images.
What we saw / heard in LP: American redstart, belted kingfisher, black-throated green warbler, blue gray gnatcatchers, bluejays, catbird, Canada goose, cardinals, chestnut-sided warbler, chickadees, cowbird, double-crested cormorants, downy woodpecker, eagle, gray-crested flycatcher, great blue herons, green heron, golden-winged warbler, goldfinch, house wren, indigo buntings, kinglet, magnolia warbler, mallards, mourning dove, northern parula, orange-crowned warbler, orioles, osprey, red-bellied woodpecker, red-winged blackbirds, robins, rose-breasted grosbeak, rough wing swallows, scarlet tanager, song sparrow, swallow, Tennessee warbler, tree swallow, warbling vireo, water thrush warblers, wood ducks, yellow-rumped warbler. (44 species?!)
Many of these birds are very, very pretty & have beautiful, interesting songs and calls. You can enjoy your own birding in Lilydale Park - anyday, anytime. Highly recommended.
