Today, the Core Team sought to escape NYC’s crippling feelings of powerlessness by seeking refuge in nature. The sanctuary we chose was Constitution Marsh Sanctuary, an Audubon Center in Phillipstown, NY.

Constitution Marsh promised to be a superior site to enjoy the natural world. We’ve hiked much of that area, including the amazing Fahnestock State Park and the death-defying Breakneck Ridge. The Hudson River is as beautiful as you could want, and when the Core Team is ready to ease back into civilization, the town of Cold Spring is always worth a visit.

Constitution Marsh is excellent. There is a short trail through the woods to get to the water. the marsh itself is beautiful; boardwalks wend through the lush greenery.

True to form, we arrived later than we should have on a scorcher of a day. There were no rails or clappers to be found in the heat. We still managed to spot a nice variety of birds. We saw, among others, Tufted Titmouse, Double-crested Cormorant, Red-winged Blackbird, Gray Catbird, American Goldfinch, Hairy Woodpecker, Northern Cardinal, the standard Turkey Vulture and Red-tailed Hawk, and our new bird of the day, the beauteous Blue-winged Warbler.

This is a good time to mention that the Core Team is terrible at identifying birds. We hear the birds, we see the birds, but we have no idea what kinds they are. Sara and I would swear that we saw a beautiful Black-throated Sparrow today, but for the fact that one has probably never been seen within 1000 miles of the Hudson Valley. It might have been a Black-capped Chickadee, but more likely than not, it was something else that we can’t figure out. We need help!