Our group of four investigated Park Station, a Chemung County park about 3.5 miles southwest of Arnot Forest. We first stopped at the fishing access on Laurel Hill Road where two adult Ring-billed Gulls were hanging out in the parking area. A transitional Common Loon was very actively diving, so we decided to track down the singing Bobolinks in the flood control dam's spillway and had fine looks at them, one landing just 10 yards away in the mowed trail. He joined two others to chase a female. We watched the flap-glide flight of Eastern Meadowlarks and listened to the buzzy songs of Savannah Sparrows. When we returned to the scope, the loon had finally settled down and we were able to enjoy leisurely looks at it. The six White-winged Scoters that had been on the lake, Saturday, had already departed, so Mallards and a passing female Common Merganser were the only other waterfowl. Next, we parked near the main entrance and headed for the woods. Two members of our group were beginners, so we took our time lookikng at birds that afforded good veiws: Chipping Sparrow, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-rumped, Yellow, and Blackburnian Warblers, Eastern Kingbird, and Tree Swallow. Only I got to see the Bay-breasted Warbler foraging in a Red Oak. We also spent time learning how to distinguish vireo, robin, and Scarlet Tanager songs. Early in our walk, we listened to the quiet song of the Philadelphia Vireo, but only a couple of us got fleeting glimpses. Other songs that we spent time on included Black-throated Green Warbler, Ovenbird, and a couple of the many calls in the Red-winged Blackbird repertoire. A Red-shouldered Hawk screamed from the forest as we were walking away from it. Everyone commented on the beauty of the place. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to explore it more. -- Bill Ostrander
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