Rusty Blackbirds were using the Rogers Refuge during mid-March. This bird was photographed by David Padulo, who said, “Great long looks at this Rusty Blackbird this afternoon, foraging around in some standing water by the Willows. Considering the species is down an estimated 90% since the 1960s, it sure is wonderful that remaining birds can find refuge here at Rogers!”
The following day, Winnie Spar reported: “…I was rewarded with the presence of four Rusty Blackbirds—three in dark breeding plumage, one pale and a bit rusty—in the same grassy area. In the brambles along the edge, a Mockingbird and a Hermit Thrush were devouring red berries. There were also a number of Wood Ducks, including a pair blundering around in the trees along the Stony Brook on the red trail. ”
The pump house at the beginning of the Stony Brook trail served since the 1970s and was becoming a hazard to walkers, so it was torn down by the American Water Company. A pump still supplements natural water in the marsh by moving water from the river. It is turned off each winter, and was turned back on March 14, to the delight of a loud frog chorus.
