Bird-walks at Secrest Arboretum

Every other month, members of the Greater Mohican Audubon Society converge at Secrest Arboretum for a 9:00 am bird-walk.  We meet up with some of the nicest folks, as Secrest advertises these walks to their large audience of plant and nature lovers.

Bianca Davis leads the GMAS Bird walk at Secrest

We usually have a good turn out, and today was no exception.  Not only does Bianca do a top-notch job of pointing out the birds, we also have interesting botany.  Our last walk there was during the Crab-apple bloom, and it was spectacular!  Go here to see those photos.

Secrest's Mockingbird

There is a Mockingbird in residence, who loves to put on a good show.  As usual, today he was making quite the ruckus.  He appeared several times during the course of the morning, with his grand finale' performed on the top..

of the gazebo.  These gardens are filled with an endless array of plants and garden architecture. It is a wonderful location for birds. Even if the birding were slow, we still have lots to see!

 Today the Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa was coming into full bloom.  This is one of the many milkweeds that are utilized by the Monarch butterfly as a host plant for caterpillars.

"They are birders, Dear."

Afterward we held our meeting in the shade beneath a garden pergola. A pair of Barn Swallows who had built their nest in the top of the structure were a wee bit anxious for us to move on.  Finally, they must have realized we meant them no harm; they returned to their nest.  You could say they had a bird's-eye view of our whole agenda, including the plans for upcoming events.

Don't be surprised if you see this pair of Barn Swallows at the Bobolinks at Byers Woods Festival.  They were marking their calendar for June 23rd!  If you missed our meeting, please go to the GMAS website for all the details.  We hope to see you there, too!