Friday, July 6, 2012

Birding Glacial Montague Sandplains IBA


Shivers were running down my spine. I was standing on the very sand deposited some 10,000 years ago as a delta at the mouth of a melt water stream into a giant ice age lake, glacial Lake Hitchcock. Eventually as the climate warmed the glaciers disappeared and the lake shrunk back into what is now the Connecticut River bed. 

The sand delta forms the heart of the Montague Sandplains IBA. The almost impenetrable thicket of scrub oak, intermingled with pitch pine, covering the plains, forms a haven for several bird species, among them Prairie Warblers, Eastern Towhees, Brown Thrasher, Field Sparrows and Whip-poor-wills. It is a unique habitat also for species of insects and turtles who would be more at home on Cape Cod. 

I had arrived late in the evening and stayed till after dark to hear the Whip-poor-wills call, but no such luck. However from all directions Prairie Warblers were singing. 


For more please see my contribution on Birding is Fun



Happy Birding!

10 comments:

  1. such a cute little banded warbler! :)

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  2. Great shot!! Boom & Gary of the Vermilon River, Canada.

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  3. Lovely shot of the Prairie Warbler. I will go and check out your other post, Hilke. Have a great weekend!

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  4. Just happened on this post. I grew up in Turners Falls and know the plains. Glad the birds are thriving. Now, I live 3,000 miles away. Thanks for taking me back home for a moment.

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  5. :( I think that little bird has too many rings on it´s legs. Even if they match it´s beautiful fethers.

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  6. Gorgeous Hilke! I hadn't heard of that area before

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  7. Lovely narrative! Glacial Montague Sandplains IBA sounds like a great place to go birding. Sweet shot of the beautiful Prairie Warbler. I really enjoyed your wonderful post on the Birding is Fun! Blog.

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  8. Thank you, Julie. I greatly admire your work and so you don't know how good you make me feel!

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  9. Hi there - glad to see you have found the new WBW!

    I think I'm going to be kept busy!

    Stewart M - Australia

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