HollyHills Directory 2024

22 2024 | Holly Hills Directory Birders of Holly Hills If Carondelet Park had official bird-watchers, Chrissy McClarren and her husband, Andrew Reago would fill those roles. You’ll often see them in the park with cameras capturing images of the beautiful and often rare birds that populate the park. For example, last spring, Reago shot the photo of a Prothonotary Warbler (right), also called Swamp Candles because they light up the flooded bottomland forests and wooded swamps they prefer to breed in. McClarren grew up a block from Carondelet Park, but, “I was 45 years old (when) I discovered neotropical songbirds migrated through the park,” she said. McClarren dragged Reago into the park. “He fast became a bird photographer, falling in love with what we were witnessing as much as I had.” In 2018 a natural bird habitat was created on the northeast end of the park and the pair was instrumental in getting the park designated as an Audubon Society Important Bird Area. To receive the international designation, an area must meet stringent criteria. It can help protect the park from development and can also draw more funding to the park. “Each year since that first year,” McClarren said, “the migrations, the birds have brought new surprises and (are) now old friends.” Photo credit: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren Prothonotary Warbler Baltimore Oriole Bluebird