back to Maple Swamp

I went up to Maple Swamp this morning for my first visit since Sandy. Maple Swamp is a distinct locale in the Pine Barrens tucked into the hills directly to the north of us. It was long one of the best areas locally for both breeding and migrant birds but it was badly hit a couple of years ago by an inchworm infestation that left many dead trees. As I suspected, many of these were knocked over by last fall's hurricane. As a result some of the best spots were difficult of access or unrecognizable -- partly because of fallen wood and partly because new and dense vegetation now covers the ground in areas opened up by the loss of the tree canopy. I found myself bushwhacking or pushing through old, obscure and overgrown trails through unfamiliar areas.

Lost in the woods in Long Island? Well, not quite. I was able to find my way back to the main trails and made it to the main swamp and the open pond at the center where I found what were undoubtedly the best birds of the day: a Lincoln's Sparrow, a Swamp Sparrow and a Ruby-crowned Kinglet (looking almost as lost as I was; somebody forgot to tell him that winter is over). There were, as always, a fair number of birds on and around the pond including Barn and Rough-winged Swallows hunting over the water, two or three Yellow Warblers in the surrounding vegetation, as well as Great Crested Flycatcher, Red-eyed Vireo, Eastern Towhee, Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, and a handsome scarlet Scarlet Tanager (as opposed to the orange Scarlet Tanager at Bald Hill yesterday). Further afield there were other warblers: Blue-winged and Pine, Common Yellowthroat and Ovenbird and a hint of Black-and-white (by song). Also a hint of Blue-gray Gnatcatcher (also by song). Field and Chipping Sparrows were vocalizing in the drier open uplands and a Red-tailed Hawk went screaming by overhead. Unless you count American Robin, there was no sign of any of the thrushes.

An open canopy may be a bad thing for deep forest species but it certainly encourages some of the flowering plants. Dogwood is everywhere in spectacular bloom and the various blueberries and huckleberries are also flourishing. A fair number of butterflies included the year's first Tiger Swallowtail, American Copper, our local duskywing (Juvenal's? Horace's?) and what we used to call the Early Spring Blue ('Pine Barrens Spring Azure'?).

Eric Salzman