It was a glorious, though chilly, morning when we gathered for the first Millbrook Marsh Big Sit! I went early to set up; the moon was still out, and the sky was starting to glow in the distance. By mid morning we were 10 birders in our circle.
We had a first flush early in the morning, with a small army of Black-capped Chickadees, moving energetically around us, chattering and grazing from the goldenrod stems. The Song and White-throated Sparrow were singing and moving in the brush, and there were three Eastern Bluebirds chasing each other, sometimes in a friendly manner, sometimes with more aggression. I wondered if they were a pair and an immature child who was being encouraged to be more independent.
At about 8AM we started to see activity in the black willow across the stream, a couple of Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers delighted us with dog fights and active foraging, and we got some really good views of the Palm Warbler when it came down to the boardwalk to peck on seeds.
We were all quite excited when we saw not one but three! Red-tailed Hawks flying and calling from the field across the road, and later a Blue-headed Vireo spotted by one of our novice birders.