Nine members of the Chenango Bird Club made a field trip to CBC member Mark Tanis’s farm in Pitcher, NY, on Saturday.  Mark is a long-time birder and bird-friendly farmer who enjoys sharing his knowledge and experience with others. He met us on our arrival with juice and pastries, then explained a little about his farm and what we could expect to see.

The hay wagon pulled by one of the tractors had hay bale seats for all of us. Mark pulled us along to the varied habitats he maintains on his farm—a gravel pit with water, grassy meadows, wooded and brushy areas, hay fields, and riverside pastures.

Along the way we observed more than 30 species, most notably a Bald Eagle, Eastern Meadowlarks, a family of Northern Flickers, a Marsh Wren, a pair of American Kestrels being harassed by Blue Jays, Mourning Warblers, Savannah Sparrows, and a flock of Wild Turkeys with both adults and young.  As usual, it was a great birding day at Mark’s farm.

Charlene LaFever

President