Meet the Birds that Live on The Southeast Greenway
Pete Dellavalle is an avid birder and Southeast Greenway Volunteer. On a recent, spectacular fall morning Pete took me for a birding walk along the Southeast Greenway. At first, I didn’t see anything but a few passing crows, but Pete began introducing me to the cast of characters that live here and suddenly a profusion of birdlife burst into view. Once the Southeast Greenway opens, you will be able to see the wildlife residents that make their home here. Pete recommends looking for birds in the early morning or evening when the birds are most active. Bird life changes seasonally and in October, we are in the midst of a seasonal transition. In the meadows, you will see birds that feed on seedpods like the White-crowned Sparrows, House Finches and Goldfinches. The beautiful and colorful Lesser and American Goldfinches are perched in the walnut trees dotting the landscape. Turkeys and Quail wind their way across the open spaces. In a quiet moment, two Red Shouldered Hawks flew by.
Red Shouldered Hawks soar above the Greenway
If you are new to birding consider downloading CornellLab’s Merlin Bird ID app to help with identification. Merlin focuses on four basic questions for identification: size of the bird; where it is; feather colors you see; and what they’re doing. Pete describes how he likes to get to know the birds that live here, the towhees that mate for life and the finches that work together as a group. The wonder of birding, Pete told me, is that you can keep coming back to the same place and every visit is different. Just as we turned around to head back to the car, Pete beckoned me, a huge Turkey Vulture sat in a distant tree with the blue sky in the background, the sun shone through the leaves and turned them a brilliant yellow. What a wonder!
The American Goldfinch has brilliant plumage
Author: Kim Roen is a volunteer with the Southeast Greenway Campaign.