We did a mini tour-de-Fens yesterday, stopping at Gallagher Fen (newly opened to the public) and Cedar Bog (for its Showy Orchid Day) and found good resident birds.  Gallagher Fen has a largely intact upland forest, with a narrow hill-bottom fen, so it was quite diverse for birds.  Cedar Bog has a larger fen, but its swamp forest had many ash trees that were devastated by EAB, so the swamp area there is very open now, with concomitent loss of forest birds and gain of shrubby edge species.  Notables included:

BlueGrosbeak - 1 was singing around the edge of the fen at Gallagher, the earliest I've had them singing
Rose-br.Grosbeaks - several were at Gallagher
ParulaWarblers - 2 at Gallagher, none at Cedar Bog (formerly reliable for them)
Yellow-br.Chats - 3+ at Cedar Bog, where they've colonized the newly open areas
Vireos - White-eyed & Yellow-throated at Cedar Bog, many Red-eyed at Gallagher
Wood Thrushes - several at both locations
Mimids - only Catbirds, but they were much more common at Cedar Bog
Flycatchers - many more Acadians & Wood Pewees at Gallagher; Cedar Bog now has many Willow Flycatchers

Wildflower season is also on the rise at both spots.  The Showy Orchids were out in force at Cedar Bog, along with fair numbers of bladderworts, while Gallagher had lots of Canada Anemones and Fire Pinks.

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