Alan Belford
July 13, 2013
I hiked Baker Mountain in Saranac Lake a few days ago as I was wrapping up my bird surveys for the season. With all of our rain of late, the popular trail was very muddy in spots but passable, and I enjoyed the early morning solitude on the trail. My only company were the droves of mosquitoes which have found the warm, wet weather we’ve been having to their liking, but I was well covered up to help deal with their attack – although they were a ravenous nuisance while I was in the woods. Anyone planning a hiking trip right now would be wise to wear or bring long pants and long-sleeved shirts for protection.
The birds I found were the expected species – with many red-eyed vireos and black-throated green warblers leading the list. There were also many ovenbirds and hermit thrushes. I also found a good number of veeries – a thrush species which I have been noting quite prevalently this year. Veeries sing a beautiful flute-like song which spirals downward, and they are found in deciduous forests as well as young forests.
![red-eyed vireo - Larry red-eyed vireo - Larry](/f/styles/inline_image/public/story/2996/body/images/mg-3327c1.jpg?itok=VWoiS7kp)
Bird activity in the small conifers at the top of the mountain was high, and I found black-throated blue, black and white, yellow-rumped, black-throated green, Nashville, and blackburnian warblers (including several recently fledged birds) amidst the small groups of black-capped chickadees and golden-crowned kinglets. I stood there and pished to draw the birds in closer, enjoying the view while taking a water break before starting my descent. After all, Baker offers hikers a good view for the short hike it takes to reach the top.
On the way down I heard the calls of a begging young yellow-bellied sapsucker, and I hunted around until I located the hole in the tree from which the cries emanated. The parents were coming regularly with food to feed it. I watched briefly, but I was tired of beating around off trail and providing food for the mosquitoes myself, so I finished my hike and went back to the car. I had more work to do, but I was already ready for my daily swim in Lake Colby.
![red-eyed vireo - Larry red-eyed vireo - Larry](/f/styles/inline_slideshow/public/story/2996/body/images/mg-3327c1.jpg?itok=eckbaLMa)