Black Rock Forest – Orange Birding

I woke up nice and early and I started my hike at Black Rock Forest right around 6:30 am. I enjoyed a very birdy and extremely peaceful hike of just a hair under eight miles. I tallied 47 species and a I had a few surprises: I heard a calling Winter Wren, a first for me at that location. I also had a singing Cerulean Warbler high in the trees that I was eventually able to get on with my binoculars. I’m not 100% sure, but again, I believe that is a first for me at this location. Other surprises included the lack of certain species: I had only one single, silent Ovenbird – they are typically numerous. And I also had only one single Yellow-throated Vireo, when typically I have 3 or 4.

~Least Flycatcher at Black Rock Forest, 07/22/23.~

~Indian Pipe (also called Ghost Plant or Corpse Plant) at Black Rock Forest. I’ve only ever seen this plant one other time, at Hickok Brook back in 2017. It was strange because I was walking along and I saw some mushrooms; I immediately thought about Indian Pipe, and don’t you know about a minute later I found this.~

~I believe this is a Red-eyed Vireo fledgling. I’d never seen one before today. BRF, 07/22/23.~

It was five years ago today that I finally got my first Ruffed Grouse in Orange County. The location was at Jupiter’s Boulder in Black Rock Forest, so I headed there first thing this morning, hoping to finally get lucky again. Unfortunately, I had no luck with the grouse, but it was a beautiful and birdy hike. I enjoyed a couple of my favorite summer birds – Acadian Flycatcher and Yellow-throated Vireo. Another highlight was a low flyover of a Broad-winged Hawk while I ate my snack and drank some water right beside Jupiter’s Boulder. I completed my hike with 28 species observed, which I was pretty happy with.

Category: Black Rock Forest

Black Rock Forest, 07/22/23

Black Rock Forest, 06/10/23