Towpath Birding

It’s one of the great ironies of American history that the construction of a network of canals in the northeast happened to coincide so closely with the arrival of the railroad–the very mode of transport that would make many of the canals obsolete as soon as they were finished. Most of those old waterways are now barely memories, but a number of them in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and elsewhere have been transformed into linear parks; and it is on the ancient towpaths that birders throughout the east can be found this time of year, looking for the migrants that use the tree-lined canals on their way north.

Here in upstate New York, where Common Redpolls are still visiting the feeders and there is still ice on the larger “ponds,” it’s a little early to be looking for warblers, but a view like this lets hope spring forth all the same.

This towpath separates the Chenango Canal from Woodman Pond, one of the canal’s original water supplies. Thanks to the efforts of Harvey and Debbie and their colleagues, increasingly long segments are being added to what is eventually to be a towpath park for the use of hikers, birders, walkers, and anyone who needs a little peace and a little quiet.

It’s too early for warblers, but as the Hambirders showed Alison and me yesterday, these areas can be good birding even before the weather warms. Woodman Pond was covered with waterbirds, including a single Red-necked Grebe, and early arrivals included a Tree Swallow, an Eastern Phoebe, and a Swamp Sparrow, all birds to warm the heart even as the hands slowly freeze. Song Sparrows, heavily marked, chocolate-colored birds that leave no doubt that we’re not in Arizona anymore, are singing up a storm, too, promising spring with their bright cheerful buzzes.

I returned to Woodman this noon, to find the ice diminished and the birds much less concentrated than they had been yesterday. There were obvious signs of movement, though, the “missing” birds from yesterday replaced by some apparent new arrivals. The Red-necked Grebe was still present, joined today by a fine Horned Grebe already sporting its fancy spring headgear. The abundant Canada Geese–many medium-sized migrants mixed in with a few “giant” introduced birds–tolerated two Snow Geese, a bird we had sought in vain yesterday.

And though the Ring-billed Gulls were all off eating French fries somewhere, a lovely little adult Bonaparte’s Gull had arrived, resting demurely on its long migration to the boreal forest.