Month: July 2020

Birding at Bell Slough WMA

July 4, 2020
Kentucky Warbler1 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Kentucky Warbler

A few weeks back – okay April, I’m just now getting to these photos – I visited Bell Slough Wildlife Management Area near Mayflower. It was my first time there, and I took the Kenny Vernon Nature Trail. It’s a 2.25 mile trail, and includes a variety of habitats such as flood fields, an area with a shale surface, and woods as well as elevation changes.

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There is a boardwalk at the start of the trail, which was actually flooded so I went back to town and bought rain boots to go through the water in. But, it was worth it – the day was beautiful and there were tons of birds singing. Prothonotary Warblers were actually all over this section of the trail.

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My most exciting find was a Kentucky Warbler (a first for me!!) that allowed me to get a really good look. Below are a few of my other finds:

Black-and-white Warbler 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Black-and-white Warbler
Prothonotary Warbler3 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Prothonotary Warbler
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher2 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Northern Parula 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Northern Parula
Ruby-throated Hummingbird2 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Hairy Woodpecker1 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Hairy Woodpecker
Summer Tanager1 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Summer Tanager
Swainson's Thrush 04252020 Bell Slough Wildlife Area
Swainson’s Thrush