The first time I identified a Grey Catbird, I was on a bike ride with a friend on the south side of the River. The two of us were at a prominent Mohawk River overlook in Colonie, somewhere just south of where Clifton Park and Halfmoon share a common southern point.

My friend quickly pointed out a bird he said was calling “Eric”. As it turned out it was a grey catbird, common around here in early summer with it’s cat like “meow” call from which the species got it’s name. The bird can’t vocalize a hard “c”, so I believe it is calling “erie” like in Erie Canal. Of course just below, my friend and I were overlooking the Erie Canal which it shares with the river in this area.

During subsequent tours with visiting groups and family, if I heard the nearby call of a catbird, I would point out that was a catbird. I would invoke my “New England humor” and claim that, in the Erie Canal corridor the relatively common summer avian visitor with it’s nasally “meow” was actually saying “Erie”. I have repeated this claim enough times that even I was starting to believe it! …until one day about 150 miles east of here, on the New England coast, I heard an “Erie” call and spotted the grey catbird perched in a low shrub like tree just back in the high ground above the beach.

This year the catbird arrived early, and is tapping on the window, teasing me to get out and enjoy this wonderful spring weather!

Dust off your bike, get it in for a spring check up, grab your helmet and join us for the Town of Clifton Park’s National Trails Day bike ride on Sunday afternoon, June 2. It will feature stops along three generations of the Eric Canal with interpretation by town of Clifton Park Historian John Scherer. This will be a practice run for next year’s bicentennial of the Erie Canal. Join us at the Historic Grooms Tavern and be ready to ride before our 1 PM departure.

Register Here.

Our major annual fundraiser is on Sunday morning October 15 with an 8:30 AM start.  Competitors complete a two mile run, twelve mile bike, and a two mile run to the finish.  This is a great multi-sport event for first timers as well as a neat way to end the season for experienced athletes.  Register now before the price goes up again!

Close to Arbor Day my mind goes to an old farmer’s sage prognosis:

This retired farm boy living in this Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway community is saying we are in for a wet summer, because the Oaks have leaves on them, they may be little leaves! The Ash, however, have buds only open enough to recognize the compound leaf structure inside.

Make your own observation on your end of the Byway and let me know if you see something different!