Caleb Smith State Park

The sun bounced off the freshly fallen snow covering the trees of Caleb Smith State Park like diamonds.

This morning I woke up early, and woke up my husband, convinced him that the snow was not a reason to keep us home and packed up our gear to head out on a new adventure. When we pulled up to the just opened gate and pulled into the empty lot the view was breathtaking. Everything glittered and the call of geese on an unseen lake reverberated through the park. The ground was an undisturbed blanket of white and instantly there was so much to see I could hardly decide in which direction I wanted to go first. Right ahead of us was an enormous mansion of a house that has been converted into a museum, behind it in the distance a dilapidated red barn and all around the grounds were dotted with tractors and farm equipment; but I could not pass up stopping at the lake first!

Heavy softballs of wet snow splashed into the water (and crashed over our heads) like cannon fire as the warming sun melted the snow from the branches above. The commotion bothered not the hoard of ducks enjoying their morning swim. There is a good amount of cleared shoreline from which to view the water as well as a wooden platform at the far end. Immediately there was something that caught my eye, there was information posted for visitors relative to where you were in the park. Posted right by the waterfront was a sign showing the type of waterfowl one may see in the area. Out on the shimmering lake we spotted a pair of Mute swans and their regular acquaintances, Mallard ducks. But I must admit, and this is not something I can say very often, Mallards were not the abundant duck on the water this morning. Gadwalls swam about all around, gliding around the shallow waters and maneuvering into narrow connecting streams.  Taking their cue we followed along the path searching for more ducks along the way.

The sun rose higher in the sky illuminating the ice making the world sparkle and I was transported into a beautiful dreamland. Perhaps it was due to the weather or it could even have been the time of day (Park does not open until 8 am) but once we ventured away from the lake the park was silent except for the occasional rumble of a maintenance van. Despite our eagerness and desperate searching, there was no sign of birds for the next two hours! Nothing! It was actually kind of bizzar at one point, but we pressed on. The Park was undoubtedly beautiful which made the lack of action a lot more enjoyable than it otherwise could have been. Caleb Smith State Park is an impressive 543 acres with a huge variety of habitats that appear absolutely perfect for a large variety of birds to be able to be spotted on the grounds.

We decided to cut our losses and bid farewell to the few mallards we had been following along the stream and try our hand elsewhere. Luckily, the trails are very well marked and there were bridges every so often so we did not need to backtrack too far to break away from the water we had crossed earlier on. However, since there are SO MANY different trails people can choose from I highly recommend taking a look at a trail map to plan your course. Soon we came to the barn which has nearly fallen down and is off limits to enter (for obvious reasons). We circled around and peered inside hopeful for a few winged friends looking to escape the snow. Besides an abundance of raccoon tracks and quite a few deer tracks, we struck out again, though finally I had begun hearing some chatter in the trees and my spirits, and hopes, were lifted. A few Dark-eyed Juncos flitted around a few feet behind us from one tangled bush to another, egging us back onto the trail and back to our search.

Bouncing from trail to trail in attempts of seeing as much as possible we came to a good-sized clearing covered in spirals of deer tracks. Again we were greeted by an informational poster showing the different wingspans of some raptors. Throughout the park, there were numerous Eagle Scout projects adding to the beauty and conservation efforts of the park (birdhouses, nesting posts and a few things that I honestly did not recognize). Then we noticed a sign that made me so excited, an arrow labeled ‘Bird Blind’! We followed and sure enough further into the clearing, adjacent to the tree-line was a newish looking wooden structure that could comfortably seat 4-6 people. Inside, the floor was free from snow and there was a long dry bench (which was very much appreciated!) On the wall hung another information posting showing the possible birds to look out for in the area, and it had even been updated to the birds specific for the season! (This is something I have never seen another park do, most posters like these are the same regardless of when in the year you visit). There were several cutouts in one wall allowing us to take a break and still be on the lookout. This park truly was designed for people who want to be submerged in nature without having to disturb it, it has everything a serious birder or even someone new to the hobby could hope for. Sadly though we still were not having much luck and had pretty much lost hope of turning things around. Chalking it up to the unusual weather we readied ourselves for the walk back to the car, feeling slightly defeated but eager to return again to give it another go.

The sun was shining bright and the snow had all but melted from the walkways and benches. The glitter of the lake sparkled off in the distance and I hoped that while we were gone some new birds had made their way to the water. As if by magic we stepped off the dirt trail onto the main path and the woods erupted in song; birds darted from tree to tree and a cloud of American Robins filled the air from the newly exposed grass. Shocked in all the commotion I fumbled excitedly with my camera which had been hanging lazily around my neck. Colors popped all around as I raced to try to get as many shots as possible before they all noticed our arrival and took off back into the woods. Nearly twenty Mourning Doves speckled the treeline cooing down at us and flying off deeper into the cover of the trees. American Robins perched curiously on outstretched branches and a Carolina Wren flitted about a scattering of sticks and fallen logs. The percussion of Woodpeckers drilling for lunch echoed off of the trees and filled our ears, coming from so many directions we could hardly isolate the noise enough to locate them. Sure enough one appeared after another. Downy Woodpeckers clung to trunks and hammered away at twisted branches, one even perched himself high up in a beam of sun and groomed for the rest of the time we were there. Two large Red-Bellied Woodpeckers inspected branches of their own close by, often racing over to pick up where a Downy had left off as they moved from one to another. The metallic sheen of a European Starling caught our eyes before we even heard his persistent call, which soon followed, seemingly startling a Northern Cardinal out of hiding and into a tangle of vines and thicket. Two stunning White-Breasted Nuthatches climbed up and down a thick trunk mere feet away from us as we watched. Finally, the bird that had peeked our excitement originally back at the barn decided to show up. The crisp white belly of a Dark-Eyed Junco shone out regally against the brown backdrop of leafless branches and twigs.

After a while, the commotion died down and we decided not to outstay our welcome. We again turned back to the shimmer of the lake and away from the chatter of the nuthatches we left behind, still toiling away. As we grew closer to the entrance we spotted more and more patrons arriving, most with cameras of their own clasped excitedly in their hands. The lake held the same few bathers as it had when we first arrived, added to only by a few Canadian Geese. With the sight of our car in the lot coming into view I capped my freshly filled-up camera and spun around to take in one last look. Caleb Smith State Park is without question a BEAUTIFUL park that I very much look forward to revisiting! The day undoubtedly had its hiccups, but in no way can that count as a mark against the park itself. Weather is something birders will always have to wrestle with. sometimes it works to your advantage and sometimes it works against you; there’s nothing we can do about it, it’s just the way it is. News 12 was filling our sleep with nightmares of 6 inches of snow just one night before; when we woke up there was an inch at best on the yards and none on the roads. I’m grateful we got to see anything at all as I was sure birding would be out of the question altogether. This Park is obviously well maintained and geared towards people doing exactly this, I’m positive that the next time I visit I will have far more photos to share but today I leave this park with a smile on my face and a fresh bunch of birds in my camera. This is definitely one I recommend checking out for yourself! Until next time my friends, Happy Birding!

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