Wood Thrush Ground Zero in Fryeburg

[Sean S]

Yesterday evening there were what seemed like an astronomical number of Wood Thrushes (20+ adults) along miles 49.8 to 50 of the Mountain Division Trail in Fryeburg.  Around 8:25 PM Jeff Webb and I noticed a couple of adults clucking & giving distress calls in the trees along the trail, with some fledglings begging for food.  Then more adults started pouring in and within 15 minutes the treetops were filled with their songs, a beautiful and ethereal cacophony that continued until around 8:50 or so, then fell silent.  Many were visible and these birds seemed quite assertive and unfazed by human or canine presence.  Not quite on the level of an avant-garde remake of "The Birds" using only trained Wood Thrushes, but close.

Other notables were 5 Whip-poor-wills (one seen landing by the train tracks), 2 Field Sparrows singing from the old mill yard and 3 Eastern Towhees (a common species in this location).  List with several audio recordings:  https://ebird.org/atlasme/checklist/S71606727

Sean Smith