On Saturday, July 10, a small group of birders met at the early-bird hour of 6 a.m. We explored a few birding destinations close to town, including a cross-country ski trail and a recent clear-cut, and we finished our outing at the picturesque Smooth Rock waterfall on the Mattagami River. Although the peak breeding season is coming to an end, we did observe a number of lovely birds including Mourning Warbler, Lincoln's Sparrow, Magnolia Warbler, Evening Grosbeak and Spotted Sandpiper. We were continually serenaded by Winter Wrens, Swainson's Thrushes, and White-throated Sparrows, even though it was difficult to actually see those birds. A highlight of our trip was the appearance of two Black-backed Woodpeckers that perched where we could easily observe them, and sat there for quite a long time; one was an adult male and the other, a fluffy-looking juvenile female. A big thank you to Rhonda Donley for sharing her expertise, and thank you to our guests from out of town for coming all the way up to Smooth Rock Falls to go birding with us. Angie & Ken Williams