Brunswick Town Commons

 Common Yellowthroat 7-9-15

Brunswick Town Commons is a town Nature Preserve located on Route 123 or Harpswell Neck Road in Brunswick, Maine. It is a mixed forest with lots of Eastern White Pine as well as mixed hardwoods and a Pine Barrens. Trails run off in several directions and some lead to nearby neighborhoods. There is a loop trail I like to hike, but often I will just grab my lunch and go sit at one of the picnic tables near the parking lot and watch birds for about 20 minutes. This past summer I was only able to get there about two or three times. I brought my friend, Donna Simonetti here when she visited me in June, and I went back to bird watch again in July.

 In June we found a large patch of Lady’s Slipper’s in bloom!

Farther down the trail we heard Blue-headed Vireos calling. We strained our necks to look up into the crowns of some very tall pines and finally spotted the birds briefly before they flew off again! When I go birding at Brunswick town commons, I never know what I will find, though usually I can count on seeing Chickadees, titmice, red and white breasted Nuthatches, and often Hermit Thrushes or Crows. If I time it right, I usually have the place to myself, but late in the day the runners start coming through. It is their favorite place too!

 

 

 In July I found this Chipping Sparrow in a pine.

 But this was the first time I had seen a hairy Woodpecker here!

 Common Yellowthroat with a Daddy longlegs 7-9-2015

I also found a whole family of Hermit Thrushes, but I could never get one to turn around for me, so all I got were tail shots!

 Young Hermit Thrush with down 7-9-15

Links:

• My eBird Checklist 6-4-15
• My eBird Checklist 7-9-15
• Brunswick Town Commons is an eBird Hotspot
• Brunswick Town Commons-(all posts on this subject)
• Town of Brunswick Trails
• On Finding Monument E-Bowdoin College Article 11-11-2011       (a brief history of The Commons)